US to China: We’re hosting world’s largest naval exercise, in Pacific
JUNE 02, 2022 RYAN MORGAN
The U.S. is hosting the world’s largest naval war games in the Pacific ocean this summer in a loud message to China. All four members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (also known as “The Quad”) and at least five countries from the South China Sea will be in attendance.
In a Tuesday press release, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) said the 2022 Rim of the Pacific exercise (RIMPAC) will see 38 surface ships, four submarines, nine national land forces, more than 170 aircraft and approximately 25,000 personnel from 26 different countries. This year’s iteration of the biennial RIMPAC, which is the largest international maritime exercise, will run from June 29 through Aug. 4.
The participating countries include Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Participants Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore all border the South China Sea, where China has broad maritime claims that conflict with other countries in the region.
Australia, India, Japan and the U.S. are all members of the Quad, a strategic security dialogue focused on maintaining regional stability in the Pacific.
Australia and the U.S. are also part of trilateral security and military technology-sharing pact with the U.K. called AUKUS.
China has expressed opposition to both the Quad and AUKUS. Australia, the U.K. and the U.S. announced AUKUS in September of last year, along with plans for the U.S. and U.K. to share their highly secretive nuclear submarine propulsion technology with Australia. China was quick to condemn the new trilateral security arrangement, saying it “has seriously undermined regional peace and stability, intensified the arms race and undermined international non-proliferation efforts” and reinforces a “Cold War” mentality against China.
https://americanmilitarynews.com/2022/06/us...ise-in-pacific/