Multinational Combined Air Operations Center personnel at Exercise RIMPAC 2018

180726-O-NO842-4001 JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM (July 26, 2018) Multinational Combined Air Operations Center personnel gather for a group photograph in front of the Atterbury Circle Flag Pole on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, July 26. RIMPAC is a biennial military training exercise to strengthen international maritime partnerships, enhance interoperability and improve the readiness of participating forces for a wide range of potential operations. Now in its 25th iteration, the Australian Defence Force deployed HMA Ships Adelaide, Success, Toowoomba, Melbourne and Rankin, an amphibious landing force from 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, and one P-8A Poseidon aircraft. The multinational activity, held from 27 June to 2 August 2018 in Hawaii and off the coast of California, is the world’s largest maritime exercise and includes 25,000 personnel from 25 countries. Australian personnel will exercise across a broad spectrum of scenarios from humanitarian assistance and disaster response to maritime security operations, sea control and complex war fighting. Participating personnel and assets will conduct gunnery, missile, anti-submarine, and air-defense exercises, as well as maritime interdiction and vessel boardings, explosive ordnance disposal, diving and salvage operations, mine clearance operations and an amphibious landing. (Australian Armed Forces photo by CPL Nicci Freeman)