RIMPAC 2020 kicks off
Four Royal Australian Navy warships have joined 18 ships and a total of 5300 personnel from 10 nations for Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) in Hawaii.
CAPTION: HMAS Hobart fires its 5-inch gun during Exercise RIMPAC 20. Photo by Leading Seaman Ernesto Sanchez. Story by Lieutenant Commander Todd Fitzgerald.
RIMPAC 2020 is being conducted as an at-sea-only event to ensure the safety of all participating military forces.
Commander of the Australian contingent Captain Phillipa Hay said RIMPAC was the pinnacle of high-end naval exercises.
“RIMPAC is a real test of Australia’s maritime military capability, from warfighting exercises to missile firings,” Captain Hay said.
“It provides complex and challenging training in a multinational environment, perfect for strengthening interoperability with our regional partners and allies.”
HMA Ships Hobart, Stuart, Arunta and Sirius, which have recently been part of a regional deployment through South-East Asia, are taking part in RIMPAC 2020.
HMAS Stuart will fire a missile during one of RIMPAC’s most well-known serials called the Sink Ex, where participants sink a decommissioned warship.
Stuart’s gunnery officer Lieutenant Naomi Muir said the ship brought strong warfighting capabilities to the multilateral exercise.
“We will be participating in a number of live-fire activities in simulated action groups, as well as in the war-at-sea phase,” Lieutenant Muir said.
“We are also participating in serials that cover all spheres of warfare and are willing and ready to work with our partners throughout the entire exercise.”
Ten nations, 22 surface ships, one submarine, multiple aircraft, and about 5300 personnel are participating in RIMPAC.
This year’s exercise includes forces from Australia, Brunei, Canada, France, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, and the United States.
Participating forces are exercising a wide range of capabilities, such as multinational anti-submarine warfare, maritime intercept operations, and live-fire training events, among other cooperative training opportunities.
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