Kiwis participate in RIMPAC, Rim of the Pacific, the world’s largest international maritime training exercise.
As security tensions rise in the Asia-Pacific region, and New Zealand reaffirms its commitment to old friends and allies, more than 300 of the country’s defence personnel, along with a warship and three planes descend on Hawaii.
Biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) is the world’s largest international maritime exercise, with 25 countries, 51 ships and submarines, 17 national land forces, about 200 aircraft, and 25,000 personnel.
China’s growing role in the region, and the threat of further escalation loom large at this year’s meeting, with the country being disinvited from the exercise following its militarisation of the South China Sea.