RIMPAC 2026, the largest international military warfare exercise in the world, kicked off on June 24th in Hawaiʻi.
The war games range from sailors running drills on war ships to marines exercising their skills on land.
This year, South Korea is more deeply involved than ever before, as a South Korean admiral will be commanding the combined naval component of the drills for the first time.
South Korea is also sending its newest Aegis destroyer, a submarine, a frigate, an amphibious landing ship and a naval patrol aircraft to participate in the exercises.
HPR was invited by the military to witness the Pacific nations in action at an exercise with U.S. Marines on Oʻahu's windward side.
“Conducting live fire exercises with partner nations is something that the Marines do very often. We go around the world and we conduct training with partner nation forces and with Allied forces on a regular basis,” Marine Col. Robb T. McDonald told HPR. He said sometimes language can sometimes be a barrier in other exercises, but those experiences prepare them for RIMPAC.
“It's something that we can actually showcase rather than overcome any barriers and in training and in operations in the live fire event themselves, but I think this is a showcase of how effective we can be working together for a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
The live fire practice took place at the shooting range on Marine Corp Base Hawaii while troops at Marine Corps Training Area Bellows engaged in practice raids in an urban setting.
Lt. Col. Colin A. Elsasser gave an overview about keeping the infantrymen sharp as battlefield technology changes.
“We are training across all warfighting functions and multiple domains,” Elsasser said.
“We absolutely have to look at how do we continue to maintain brilliance in the basics in infantry skills with a lot of the training that you're seeing out here on this range complex today, but also continue to adapt new and emerging capabilities.”
Several European allies were absent from the exercises, such as Germany, which has opted not to send any vessels for RIMPAC 2026. According to military officials who spoke to HPR, France also did not send a contingent.
The RIMPAC 2026 military exercises run from June 24 to July 31.
This story aired on The Conversation on June 29, 2026. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. Jinwook Lee adapted this story for the web.
