The Legend-class USCGC Stratton (WMSL 752) sails with Philippine Navy’s Gregorio del Pilar-class patrol ship BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS-16) and Philippine Coast Guard Vessel BRP Melchora Aquino (MRRV-9702) as part of a division tactics exercise in the Sulu Sea, May 20, 2025. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd class William Kirk)

Naval News reports,

“The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) will acquire three Beechcraft King Air aircraft from the United States to enhance its maritime domain awareness and strengthen its search and rescue (SAR) capabilities.”

But what really got my attention was this,

“The PCG… will also become the first foreign coast guard to take part in the US-led Rim of the Pacific exercise in Hawaii later this year.”

The US Coast Guard has of course participated in RIMPAC for as long as I can remember and perhaps from the inception, but this is significant change. In the future we may see the Indian, Japanese, or S. Korean coast guards.

This prompted me to find out when the exercise will be. AI tells me,

“Approximately 29 nations, 40 surface ships, 3 submarines, 14 national land forces, over 150 aircraft and more than 25,000 personnel will participate in the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise scheduled June 26 to Aug. 2, in and around the Hawaiian Islands.”

A highlight of every RIMPAC is one or more SINKEX. This year I would really like to see some live fire counter-UAS exercises by our cutter(s) and other ships that don’t have an AAW missile suite.

Thought my readers might appreciate some photos from previous RIMPACs. If you want to read comments and press releases about previous RIMPACs, here are what I believe are the most important. Significantly Navy H-60s began operating from National Security Cutters in 2016.

• “Globally deployable Coast Guard units conclude participation in RIMPAC 2024” –Coast Guard News & Why No Missiles On Cutters?
• Why Did USCGC Midgett Embark an ASW Helicopter For RIMPAC 2022?
• Fire on Peruvian Corvette Operating Under CO Midgett’s OPCON
• Navy Helo Operates from Munro, RIMPAC 2020
• RIMPAC 2018
• Coast Guard Year in Review–US Naval Institute Proceedings
• Coast Guard Role in RIMPAC (2014)

The U.S. Coast Guard helicopter tie-down team aboard legend-class cutter USCGC Midgett (WMSL 757) secures a Mexican navy Panther Helicopter ANX 2161 during Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024 off the coast of Hawaii, July 14.  (U.S. Coast Guard photo by David Lau)

PACIFIC OCEAN (July 30, 2022) U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Humberto Alba, a naval aircrewman tactical-helicopter, attached to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 37, deployed on U.S. Coast Guard Legend-class cutter USCGC Midgett (WMSL 757), looks down at a USCGC crewmember after taking off during flight operations during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Taylor Bacon)

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. More than 45 ships and submarines, including this former Coast Guard cutter participated  in RIMPAC. (MC3 Dylan Kinee/U.S. Navy)