180719-N-BQ308-051 WAHIAWA, HAWAII (July 19, 2018)

180719-N-BQ308-051 WAHIAWA, HAWAII (July 19, 2018) - Multinational special operations forces (SOF) prepare for static line airborne insertion training during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, July 19. Twenty-five nations, 46 ships, five submarines, and about 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 27 to Aug. 2 in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security of the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2018 is the 26th exercise in the series that began in 1971. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist William Tonacchio/Released)