Dzirhan Mahadzir – July 21, 2026 2:38 PM – Updated: July 22, 2026 9:26 AM
Multinational crews are flying on U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft for first time during Rim of the Pacific 2026 exercise.
U.S. Navy P-8As from the “Fighting Tigers” of Patrol and Reconnaissance Squadron (VP) 8 and the “Golden Eagles” of VP-9 are operating alongside a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force P-1 MPA, a Royal Canadian Air Force CP-140 Aurora MPA, two Royal Australian Air Force P-8As and a E-7 Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft, a Republic of Korea Navy P-8A and an Indian Navy’s P-8I Neptune MPA.
All the aircraft are operating under Commander, Task Force (CTF) 172 for RIMPAC, a U.S. Navy-led exercise in and around Hawaii that runs through July 31. The patrol aircraft are flying missions ranging from anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, search and rescue, and humanitarian assistance support, reads a U.S. Navy news release.
Instead of operating independently, the maritime patrol crews of each aircraft routinely exchange information and coordinate missions with allied and partner forces. The interoperability allows one nation’s aircraft to transfer responsibility for tracking a contact to another nation’s crew, ensuring uninterrupted situational awareness throughout the exercise.
“We practice seamless mission integration,” Lt. Elizabeth Millward, exercise planning officer for Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing (CPRW) 10 and CTF-172 maritime patrol planner, said in the release. “When a Canadian CP-140 is tracking an underwater contact, it can flawlessly hand off that responsibility to a crew from South Korea, Japan or any other CTF-172 crew, ensuring continuous pressure on the target.”
Along with cooperation at the tactical level, RIMPAC 2026 involves multinational task force staff and personnel exchanges designed to strengthen relationships and improve interoperability among participating nations.
“This year, we are taking it a step further with multinational crews, where an American P-8A might fly with personnel from several partner nations,” Millward said. “This initiative proves that our training and procedures are so well aligned that our experts can integrate into any of our partners’ aircraft and successfully execute the mission.”
Meanwhile, replenishment ships participating in RIMPAC are operating at an above average tempo, conducting multiple replenishments-at-sea daily, according to the Military Sealift Command. In past RIMPAC iterations, the replenishment ships typically conducted one to two at-sea replenishments per day.
Fleet replenishment oiler USNS Guadalupe (T-AO-200) and dry cargo ship USNS Washington Chambers (T-AKE-11) are conducting multiple replenishment-at-sea operations daily – with ships receiving fuel and cargo simultaneously on both sides – the MSC news release reads.
“The ability to refuel and resupply ships at sea is the logistics backbone that keeps the exercise force sustained and ready,” Capt. Aaron Caputo, civil service master of Washington Chambers, said in the release. “MSC’s ability to deliver fuel, cargo and logistics support allows U.S. and partner nation ships to remain on station and continue operations throughout RIMPAC.”
Washington Chambers’ preparation for RIMPAC included an accelerated return to operational service following a major overhaul at Vigor Marine Group Shipyard in Portland, Oregon. After getting underway for sea trials on June 14, the crew compressed months of training into a matter of weeks, completing required Navy assessments and certifications on an aggressive schedule, the release reads. Washington Chambers arrived in Hawaii on July 2, achieving “Ready for Tasking” status on July 6, just in time for the exercise’s underway phase.
“That accomplishment reflects far more than meeting a schedule,” Caputo said. “It demonstrates what can be achieved when the ship’s crew, Afloat Training Group, MSC Pacific, Program Management Office 6, the Port Engineer and numerous supporting organizations are aligned toward a common operational objective.”
RIMPAC’s multinational participation requires MSC mariners to adapt to the different procedures, communications practices and measurement standards used by partner nations such as partner navies using the metric system instead of the imperial system used by the U.S. Navy, according to the release.
“Many of those differences are addressed during planning, but crews must still adapt to unexpected situations while underway,” reads the release.
Along with MSC ships, Royal New Zealand Navy fleet oiler HMNZS Aotearoa (A11) and Royal Canadian Navy fleet oiler MV Asterix (A147) are also providing replenishment-at-sea support during RIMPAC. Pentagon imagery shows Aotearoa replenishing U.S. Navy destroyer USS Carl M. Levin (DDG-120), Royal Australian Navy destroyer HMAS Sydney (DDG42) and Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Regina (FFH334) while Asterix is shown replenishing Spanish Navy frigate ESPS Alvaro De Bazan (F101) and JMSDF destroyer JS Kongo (DDG-173).
Additionally, the Army National Guard and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force conducted a combined live-fire exercise on July 11 at Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands, Hawaii, as part of RIMPAC.
The 1st Battalion, 623rd Field Artillery, Kentucky Army National Guard and the 8th Surface-to-Ship Missile Regiment (SSMR), 2nd Artillery Brigade, JGSDF carried out the joint live-fire exercise. The exercise marked the first time that the Kentucky Army National Guard played a role in RIMPAC.
“Few artillerymen ever have the privilege of conducting a combined live-fire exercise with another nation’s forces,” Lt. Col. Tyler Brown, 1-623rd commander, said in the news release. “While our equipment, procedures and even our languages may be different, our professionalism and dedication to our nations are the same. We are honoured to train alongside Colonel Daisaku Yamada and his team, investing in our readiness, partnership and the security of the Indo-Pacific.”
The two units collaborated together to strike a naval target ship, according to the release, which did not state the identity of the target. 1-623rd fired rockets from its High Mobility Artillery Rocket System while the 8th SSMR fired a Type 12 surface-to-ship missile. The final rounds of the exercise were synchronized to launch simultaneously, fully testing the Japanese and American interoperability with both rounds launched within a second of each other.
“Training together is what transforms an alliance into a true partnership,” Brown said. “It allows us to understand one another’s strengths, improve our ability to operate as a team and build the confidence that comes from shared experiences.”
Dzirhan Mahadzir
Dzirhan Mahadzir is a freelance defense journalist and analyst based in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. Among the publications he has written for and currently writes for since 1998 includes Defence Review Asia, Jane’s Defence Weekly, Navy International, International Defence Review, Asian Defence Journal, Defence Helicopter, Asian Military Review and the Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter.