Navy ships assemble to form a multinational fleet for a photo exercise off the coast of Hawaii during the Rim of Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise on July 26, 2018. Twenty-six nations, more than 45 ships and submarines, about 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC. (MC3 Dylan Kinee/U.S. Navy)

Defense News reports,

 The U.S. Navy and 26 partners and allies have concluded a final planning conference for this year’s Rim of the Pacific exercise, the largest international maritime exercise.

I have not seen dates for the exercise, but presumably July. Certainly there should be at least one NSC, an FRC, and probably one or more CG special teams in the exercise. We may see former USCG 378s from the Philippines and Vietnam.

Apparently for the first time, Taiwan is expected to participate.

Though subject to change, the plan includes 41 ships, four submarines, more than 170 aircraft and nearly 25,000 personnel from 27 countries.

There is a good chance a Coast Guard commander will head one of the task groups for a humanitarian assistance or maritime interdiction exercise.

In the 2020 RIMPAC a NSC USCGC Munro hosted a Navy MH-60S detachment.

There will almost certainly be one or two SINKEX to remind us how much ordinance it can take to sink a ship. Hopefully an NSC will be involved. Would love to see them get a chance to use the new ALaMO rounds, just don’t expect them to sink the target.