SAN DIEGO—This week, commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet is hosting the mid-planning conference for Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022 at Naval Base Point Loma.
Participants from all countries scheduled for RIMPAC 2022 are in attendance at the weeklong conference that affords attendees the opportunity to share information and integrate planning efforts. Through strong international coordination of COVID mitigation measures, this in-person meeting will enable participants to review and coordinate a detailed plan for the exercise and meet face-to-face with their other-nation counterparts.
“This conference is a much-needed touchpoint during a RIMPAC year that allows us to continue to develop strong relationships with both longstanding partners and newly participating nations,” said U.S. 3rd Fleet Commander Vice Adm. Steve Koehler. “The MPC provides an ideal forum for all of us to facilitate and support the tactical level planning process and ensure a safe and successful RIMPAC 2022 next summer.”
During his welcome brief, Koehler also revealed the Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022 logo, the result of a months-long logo contest held in advance of the exercise.
San Diego-based graphic designer Shivonne Thurston’s design was selected from among 33 submissions and will be used to represent the 2022 iteration of the exercise.
While RIMPAC 2020 featured at-sea-only training events conducted around the Hawaiian Islands as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2022 exercise is expected to more closely resemble the 2018 iteration, though still with COVID mitigation measures in place, with more than four dozen units and approximately 25,000 personnel participating both afloat and ashore.
“This planning conference represents a planning and integration effort occurring between more than 20 nations,” said RIMPAC 2022 Coordinator Australian Navy Lt. Cmdr. James Dobson, “It reflects our ability to develop the relationships and partnerships required to meet the needs of each nation’s training and interoperability objectives and ensure we can operate successfully now and into the future.”
Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet crafted the modified RIMPAC plan as a way to conduct a meaningful exercise with maximum training value and minimum risk to the force, allies and partners, and the people of Hawaii. RIMPAC began in 1971 and was held annually until 1974, when it became a biennial exercise due to its scale. The founding nations were the United States, Australia, and Canada. This will be the 28th RIMPAC since inception.
An integral part of U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. 3rd Fleet leads naval forces in the Indo-Pacific and provides the realistic, relevant training necessary to flawlessly execute our Navy’s role across the full spectrum of military operations—from combat operations to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. U.S. 3rd Fleet works together with our allies and partners to advance freedom of navigation, the rule of law, and other principles that underpin security for the Indo-Pacific region.