"RIMPAC provides the 'big picture' experience for all concerned."

Honorable Ian McLachlan
Minister of Defence, Australia

Unlike its predecessors, the 16th Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC 98) naval exercise at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii involved more than just testing the coordination and teamwork of participating naval forces. With two historic battleships, USS Missouri and USS Arizona, in the background as silent sentinels, this biennial exercise was an opportunity for allied and friendly navies to practice their craft and continue the cooperation that has been played out every other year since 1971. Vice Adm. Herb Browne, Commander, U.S. Third Fleet and overall commander of the Combined Coalition Task Force, said, "Pacific Rim nations are linked by a global economy. It is important for our naval forces to exercise and train together as a coalition. By developing a common understanding, we improve our ability to work together as a combined military force. Working with other Pacific nations is important to the future of not only our navies, but our nations."

From 6 July through 6 August, 1998, naval forces from five nations conducted RIMPAC 98 exercises designed to enhance the abilities of the participating nations to operate effectively as a team when conducting operations at sea. A sixth country, Japan, exercised bilaterally with the U.S. Navy. Over 50 ships, 250 aircraft and 27,000 military personnel from Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the U.S. participated in this sixteenth biennial exercise, which began in l971 as an annual exercise. Besides these nations which directly participated in the training, observers from other nations of the Pacific Rim, including China, Thailand, Singapore, Mexico and Peru watched RIMPAC 98. Chile, the lone participating South American nation, was back for a second time as a key player in naval activities throughout the exercise. In addition, scores of media and dozens of military, diplomatic leaders and distinguished visitors attended RIMPAC 98.

Chile

"It was very important to train with the navies of other countries because it gives us an opportunity to demonstrate our professionalism and maritime expertise among these other powerful naval forces," said Chile's Lt. Juan Pablo Campos, Public Affairs Officer for CNS Condell (FFH 6). "We greatly valued our opportunity to participate in RIMPAC 98. Our results have been excellent and Chile plans to continue [participating] in RIMPAC."

Chile's participation in RIMPAC began in 1996 with the submarine Simpson and the frigate Lynch. During RIMPAC 98, the frigate Condell was chosen because it was considered to be one of the main combat units of the Chilean Combat Fleet.

Said Lt. Campos, "The ship was selected because of its high-[tempo] operating level. It is considered one of the best among the Chilean Fleet." Its mission was to locate submarines with sonobuoys. RIMPAC was designed to improve the cooperation of multinational forces and it is that cooperation which Chile deems the most significant.

Australia

Commodore Russell Shalders, Australia's maritime commander and Sea Combat Commander for the Multinational Force, conducted an inspection of Naval Magazine Lualualei's MK 46 Torpedo Intermediate Maintenance Activity. He was impressed with the level of expertise of the sailors and their ability to conduct every aspect of rework and testing for the MK 46 torpedo. He also commented on the substantial benefits Australia receives when it participates in the RIMPAC exercises. "We always make an effort to [bring] as many ships [here] as we can, and we have been coming for a long time because we do get such a great benefit from the exercise." The biggest benefit Australia receives, Commodore Shalders said, is interoperability with the other nations participating in RIMPAC 98. Of equal importance are the training benefits which sailors and airmen receive from working RIMPAC's complex scenarios. "The amount of quantitative information you have to process in such a large exercise keeps you extremely busy," he noted. "The information flow is part of the complexity of RIMPAC." The Australian Navy has participated in every RIMPAC exercise.

Canada

To Canadian Rear Adm. R.D. Buck, Deputy Commander of the Combined Task Force, RIMPAC represented a sizable contribution and valuable opportunity to improve the Canadians' skills of operating within, and commanding, a multinational force. Calling RIMPAC the "Super Bowl of all exercises," Rear Adm. Buck said that the largest exercise in the Pacific was made up of two separate task groups, the Multinational Force and the Bilateral Force (Japan and the U.S.). Operating cooperatively, their common goal was to promote a peaceful resolution of a fictitious conflict between two island nations.

The past few years have made Canada an invaluable component of RIMPAC. Starting as an original RIMPAC participant in the early 1970s, Canada's contribution to the exercise has resulted in a quantum leap in military capability and operational effectiveness. RIMPAC 98 included 1,200 Canadian participants. Ten dolphins worked alongside eight Canadian clearance divers based at Esquimalt for about three weeks. Lt. Andreas Kothleitner, Officer in Charge of the Canadian diving contingent, said that the inquisitive, friendly and intelligent mammals expedited the entire operation. "They can work from depths of 600 feet (approximately 185 meters) to the shore without any trouble. With the help of their finned friends, the Canadians were the first team to locate and disable a mine during the [RIMPAC exercise]."

Republic of Korea

The Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy was back in Pearl Harbor for a fifth consecutive RIMPAC as part of the Multinational Force. For its sailors, it was the first time they participated in the exercise with a solid battle force of two frigates, ROKS Chon Nam (FF 957) and ROKS Chung Nam (FF 953), the submarine ROKS Lee Jong Moo (SS 066) and two P-3C aircraft. This force successfully fired a Harpoon missile from a P-3 and its submarine "sunk" a target vessel.

Capt. Kim Yong Ok, Commander of the ROK Navy's ASW Squadron Five-One, said RIMPAC allowed his navy to operate with "our friendly allies." He also said the ROK would always be there at anytime, at any mission if our friends need us. "And the people of the Republic of Korea will especially go together with the people of the United States of America as a friend forevermore."

Enhancing cooperation among Pacific allies and promoting stability in the region continues to be the ultimate goal of RIMPAC. As a naval battle force, the Republic of Korea developed more "blue navy" capabilities by participating in combined operations on the open ocean with other Pacific Rim navies.

Japan

For the tenth time, Japan operated with the U.S. Navy in bilateral events conducted during RIMPAC. Operating with the U.S. Navy frigate, the USS Vandegrift (FFG 48), the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) ships practiced their capabilities for actual situations, firing real SM-2, Sea Sparrow and Harpoon missiles hitting their targets, plus P-3 torpedo launches. The JMSDF ships included the JDS Kirishama, Harusame, Murasame, Towada, and the Hayashio. By conducting cooperative operations with the U.S. Navy, JMSDF promotes closer communication and keeps harmonious relations between the two military forces. JMSDF also makes every effort to cultivate the partnership on a daily basis through a variety of friendship events.

According to Rear Adm. Yoshihiro Sakuae, "Our participation in RIMPAC strengthens our commitment to working with the United States as a member of the Pacific nations."

Cooperation

Cooperation between different navies was an overriding theme during RIMPAC 98. "The key [element was] team building in bringing the nations together and working in unity and with the purpose of keeping the sea-lanes open for commerce. I think all of the nations have now recognized [that] it's going to take a strong maritime force or at least strong maritime concepts to keep the sea-lines of communications open [and to show that RIMPAC has] come together as a combined team or combined staff to operate these combined forces. We think that's the strength of RIMPAC," said Vice Adm. Browne.

Interoperability of the combined forces was tested in such areas as tactics, command and control, logistics and communications. Non-participating nations sending observers to the RIMPAC exercise had the opportunity to see U.S. Navy men and women at work. They also saw how the six nations cooperated in RIMPAC 98, contributing to a spirit of security and stability in the Pacific.

The opportunity for the navies of various countries to train together is tremendous said Rear Adm. Alfred G. Harms Jr., Commander of Carrier Group Three aboard the USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). "Carl Vinson can ensure the entry and access of other joint or combined forces into an area when they get there. RIMPAC will help us to hone these skills. Working with our own ships and the professionals from the other countries will enable us to exercise the flexibility, mobility, sustainability and combat power of forward deployed naval forces."

"RIMPAC provides the 'big picture' experience for all concerned," said the Honorable Ian McLachlan, Australian Minister of Defense. "Our sailors and airmen depend on the experience they gain in working with allies in multinational exercises such as RIMPAC 98 in order to operate together."

RIMPAC 98 enhanced the tactical capabilities of participating units in major aspects of maritime operations at sea. It incorporated all the elements that have made this biennial exercise one of the largest and most productive naval training exercises in the world.

RIMPAC 98 Highlights

RIMPAC 98 tested the coalition of the Pacific Rim's navies and also included continued joint operations with the U.S. Air Force/Hawaii Air National Guard, U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Marine Corps. Throughout this complex, multi-faceted exercise, evolutions took place to emphasize interoperability at a hectic pace on shore, in the air and at sea:

• An amphibious landing by the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit and the USS Boxer (LHD 4) Amphibious Ready Group was launched off the coast of the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

• A U.S. Naval Reserve unit, Patrol Squadron 65, worked from Naval Air Station Barbers Point to perform anti-submarine warfare operations.

• Her Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) Regina vertically launched two Sea Sparrow missiles tracked by the impressive capabilities of the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai. The missile shots were intended to validate Canadian missile-firing doctrine and tactics.

• Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit One at Hickam Air Force Base located, surveyed and removed grounded vessels, performed underwater welding and made repairs on sunken vessels in order to retrieve them.

• Ships from Australia, Canada, Chile, the Republic of Korea and the United States simulated missile scenarios off Kauai that involved the Hawaiian Islands being split into two separate countries.

• In a first time activity coordinated with RIMPAC participants, Naval Base Pearl Harbor tested its ability to effectively respond to an oil spill in an evolution revolving around a simulated Navy pipeline rupture. The simulated rupture poured a fictional 20,000 gallons of diesel fuel into the harbor.

Following the conclusion of RIMPAC 98, ten ships from six Pacific Rim nations passed in review along Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head crater. The impressive Pass in Review Parade was a final evolution of the biennial exercise. The parade also gave participants a chance to say a final farewell to the people of Hawaii as the ships departed Pearl Harbor.

During RIMPAC 98, Pearl Harbor was the center of action with more than 50 ships filling the harbor. For foreign sailors visiting Hawaii for the first time, RIMPAC also provided an excellent opportunity to enjoy the Hawaiian culture, people and the traditional Hawaiian Aloha spirit of friendship.