USNI News:
About 25,000 naval personnel and 52 ships and submarines from 26 countries will participate in this year’s Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, which begins on Wednesday.
RIMPAC, the world’s largest international maritime exercise, includes rehearsal scenarios that cover disaster relief, amphibious operations, anti-piracy work, missile shots, mine clearance, maritime security, anti-submarine warfare and air defense operations, according to a statement released by U.S. 3rd Fleet.
During the course of the exercise, a series of live-fire events are scheduled, including: a long-range anti-ship missile (LRASM) shot by a U.S. Air Force aircraft; a surface-to-ship missile shot by members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force; and a naval strike missile (NSM) shot by the U.S. Army from a launcher on the back of a palletized load system (PLS), marking the first time a land-based unit is participating in a RIMPAC live-fire event, according to the 3rd Fleet statement.
