The Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) does not single out any particular nation, but is aimed at deterring invasions, and maintaining peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region, a top US commander said on Thursday.
Vice Admiral John Wade, commander of the US 3rd Fleet, told a news conference at the launch of the multinational naval drills off Hawaii that RIMPAC aims to allow like-minded nations to operate together to handle crises ranging from natural disasters to armed conflict.
Wade, who heads this year’s RIMPAC joint forces, declined multiple requests for comment on Taiwan and its relationship with China.
Photo: screen grab from a video on Defense Visual Information Distribution System’s Web site
“RIMPAC does not single out a particular nation or send messages to anybody,” US military newspaper Stars and Stripes quoted him as saying. “We are really focused on enduring maritime force capabilities to ensure peace and prosperity in the vital Indo-Pacific region.”
However, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army was not invited to this year’s exercises due to Beijing’s “reluctance to adhere to international rules or norms and standards,” he said.
RIMPAC, which began in 1971 and is held every two years, is the world’s largest international maritime exercises.
This year it involves 29 nations, which have collectively deployed 40 warships, three submarines, 150 aircraft, 14 land-based armies and 25,000 personnel, the US Navy said in a news release.
Participating militaries are from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga, the UK and the US, the US Navy said.
Aircraft including Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning IIs, Boeing V-22 Ospreys and Boeing P-8 Poseidons would operate out of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and US Marine Corps Base Hawaii on Oahu, it added.
In other news, Taiwan’s Tuo Chiang-class guided missile corvettes the An Chiang and the Wan Chiang are expected to be activated next week, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday.
The ships would increase the nation’s Tuo-Chiang fleet from five to seven, concluding the navy’s plans for a prototype followed by an initial production run of six ships, the source said.
Chinese military drills near Taiwan have caused strain in the Taiwanese navy, the source said, adding that it might be forced into changing its plan for replacing the aging Ching Chiang-class with the Tuo Chiang-class on a one-for-one basis.
The Tuo Chiang, the lead ship of the fleet, and the prototype are armed with eight Hsiung Feng II and Hsiung III anti-ship missiles each, while the “flight one” corvettes utilize 16 Hai Chien II anti-aircraft missiles, eight Hsiung Feng II anti-ship missiles and four Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missiles.
The planned “flight two” corvettes, to be completed in 2026, would each have four Hsiung Feng II and eight Hisung Feng III anti-ship missiles due to their envisioned role in surface warfare.
Additional reporting by Lo Tien-pin
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