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Washington (Agence France-Presse @ 15 Febuary 2006) -- Amid persistent warnings about China's growing military clout, the US military said Tuesday it would hold one of its biggest naval exercises in the Asia Pacific this summer.

The large-scale operations will involve several carrier strike groups, each of which includes at least three warships, an attack submarine and a support ship.

Four carriers would be involved in three military maritime exercises -- one of them touted as the world's largest -- between June and August in the region, Commander of the US Pacific Fleet Admiral Gary Roughead said in Washington.

Two of the exercises are expected to be largely confined to US forces and held in the Western Pacific while the third involving navies from at least eight countries, including Australia, Chile, Japan, South Korea and Peru, would occur near the Hawaiian Islands.

While the war games would boost bilateral and multilateral cooperation and improve military preparedness, it "also provides a deterrent for anyone who would wish us ill," Roughead told a forum organized by the US-based Asia Society, which aims to bridge ties between the two sides of the Pacific.

A major Pentagon review of US military strategy earlier this month singled out China as the country with the greatest potential to challenge the United States militarily.

The Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), conducted every four years, said a key goal for the US military in the coming years will be to "shape the choices of countries at a strategic crossroads."

The QDR report noted China's steady but secretive military buildup since 1996. Some analysts also see recent Sino-Russian rapprochement as a sign of a desire to wrest military and economic power in the Asia-Pacific region from the United States, which is linked by half century military alliances with Japan and South Korea.

It has been at least 10 years since four aircraft carriers have operated in the Pacific Ocean at one time, the Hawaii-based Roughead said, adding that the increased activity was in line with findings of the QDR released on February 6.

His spokesman Navy Captain Matt Brown said it could be the largest combined aircraft carrier operations in the Pacific since the Vietnam War.

Aside from the Japan-based Kitty Hawk, the other carriers to be involved in the exercises are the San Diego-based Ronald Reagan and one more each from the Pacific and Atlantic fleets.

"I think for an East Coast carrier to be operating in the Pacific -- probably Vietnam was the last time we had East Coast ships operating up in the Western Pacific," he explained.

Elaborating on the exercises, Brown said, "As the QDR mentioned, it is important for us to be focusing on the Pacific, to be working with friends and allies in the Pacific.

"And we think that the carriers are a capable multimission platform for gaining familiarisation for forces operating in the Western Pacific."

Citing the massive US-led tsunami relief operations last year in Asia, Brown said, "Our leaders in Hawaii were able to pick up the phone and call counterparts in Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, New Delhi and rapidly exchange information because they knew each other.

"In a situation where there is a disagreement, wouldn't it be nice to pick up the phone and refer back to rely upon a long term established relationship to hopefully prevent that conflict," he asked.

Brown also said that the US military hospital ship "Mercy," deployed last year to help tsunami-hit Indonesia, will leave this spring on a five-month mission to Southeast Asia.

"We are still working on the locations," he said. "This is follow on to the tsunami experience because we found that it was important and the people benefited and is good to do it again," he said. Mercy is one of two American hospital ships.


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It would be good to have US flexing its muscles now especially when people are suspecting that they have "lost" the edge ( as in their military capabilities are eroded by recent revelations about Chinese military buildups via technological advancement ). I suppose the US are trying to revive / strengthen old military alliances and give assurances that they are still "top dog".
But just to deviate abit - are the Chinese military advances really that fantastic? Yes they have acquired this and that, but with them are they really able to defeat the USN? Not withstanding the fact that the US are committed in Afghanistan and Iraq. With those acquisitons, would the Chinese military be that quickly improved? Given that it was said initially that the Chinese military are at least decades behind the US or any Western military, but with recent writeups, it looks like the Chinese have suddenly become superior or quite superior....

Hopefully, the Republic Of Singapore Navy would be able to contribute a number of Victory-Class MCVs and Formidable-Class Frigates (Even Though They Had Not Been Commisioned) from its 1st Fleet, along with some Challenger-Class SSK into the naval exercises.

Would be nice to have either the Challenger-Class or the Collins-Class SSK penetrate the perimeter defenses of the CVBG and "sink" the carrier, like what OZ did back in 2001 and 2003... Wonders if PLAN will be staging similar operations...???


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Did that both in the Baltic and in South China Sea!!! B)

Aiya, these naval exercises are annual events.... don't need to drum up the war drums....

It will be really difficult and expensive for RSN to join the RIMPAC exercises. Singapore does not have replenishment capability unlike RAN.

The business of defence is never cheap, in monetary and non monetary sense (casualties that occur and being away from family). But if the participation in these exercises could increase Singapore's operational readiness and our fighting effectiveness, I suppose Mindef would propose and the govt. would agree to send a team there. Just like other foreign military exercises that RSAF, SAF and RSN takes part in annually. In terms of replenishment capabilities, I believe it can be arrange. But the main focus would be the value obtained from joining the exercise. The USN holding these exercises are in reality to send strong signals to adversaries and would-be adversaries and also to allies. They want to prove that contrary to whatever is said, they are committed to the stability and well-being of the region and world.
Personally, I hope the US if its within their means, would showcase real hardware which neutralises the current hopes of the PLA that it had made giant steps in closing the technological gap thru the various big money purchases that they have been doing for the past couple of years.

Replenishment ability is something we should be working on, if we want to reposition ourselves as a regional peacekeeping/humanitarian force.

We do not have dedicated replenishment capabilty in terms of hardware. But we do have civilian resources which we can count on in time of needs. This is what I think, at least...

I am very sure that RSN would have already looked into that portion of the equation becos' we can be having our navy come all the way back to base for re-fuelling and re-arming during operations as it would not be productive. But at this moment, becos we are operating within certain limits therefore the urgency is not there yet. But as mentioned we could have civilian ships which can cater to this shortfall in the meantime. But it would not be ong before RSN would need replenishment vessels to support the fleet as it becomes bigger (numerically and in terms of size). We would be adding 2 more subs and not to mention other potential vessels (not including the retiring of older vessels). I believe that replenishment vessels are important becos it would allow greater operational range. Does Indonesia / Malaysia operate replenishment vessels for their fleets?

Can it be that it is politically sensitive at this point of time? Having dedicated replenishment/supply vessels may mean that RSN is planning for sustained offensive naval operations

Not at all!! it doesnt make sense at all procuring a replenishment Vessel.unless you were saying we navigate across the ocean frequently.. The only "International Water" we frequently held our naval xercise is none other the South China Sea do we need a 4000km to get to our exercise destination and return i doubt so!!

IN Southeast Asia, Only thailand has a Replenishment ship in their Naval inventory.
but i m quite skeptical about it ultimate purpose.

err... having a replenishment vessel doesn't mean that "we navigate across the ocean frequently"... it can be used to conduct specific ops as well

Is'nt our Endurance class LSD something like a replenish ship? :blink:

Not really, in a strictest sense.

Though I believe it can serve in the interim as a resupply vessel, but it would need resup pretty quick too.

Endurance class LST (or rather LPD) is never meant to be a replenishment vessel... it has it own specific 'operadi modus'. We do not need to have any such dedicated vessels. At least there is no pressing needs at this point of time. And surely, we do not want to send out the wrong signal to our neighbours. Having replenishment/resupply naval vessels signal a major shift of our naval strategy

I don't think RSN's sailors are trained in any Underway Replenishment (UNREP) methods, other than small-scaled Vertical Replenishment (VERTREP) operations from the Endurance Class ATD...???


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http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/...ers+this+summer

Hawaii to host
RIMPAC naval
maneuvers this
summer

Isle businesses expect boost
from bienennial event

By William Cole
Advertiser Military Writer

A naval exercise that brings to Hawai'i's shores
thousands of service members from the U.S. and
foreign nations, an aircraft carrier, beach
landings — and millions in Waikīkī
tourist dollars — is returning between late June
and early August.

The U.S. Navy hasn't yet released all the details
for the 2010 Rim of the Pacific war games, but
the last time the biennial exercise was held in
2008, there were 10 countries, 35 ships, six
submarines and 150 aircraft involved.

PEARL HARBOR (June 23, 2010) The Republic of Singapore Navy Formidable-class frigate RSS Supreme (73) arrives at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam to participate in Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2010. RIMPAC is a biennial, multinational exercise designed to strengthen regional partnerships and improve multinational interoperability. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class N. Brett Morton/Released)


RIMPAC 2010 Begins as Ships Arrive in Pearl Harbor

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Mark Logico
Commander, Navy Region Hawaii Public Affairs

PEARL HARBOR – The biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise officially kicks off today as 14 nations, 32 ships, five submarines, more than 170 aircraft, and 20,000 personnel arrive in Hawaii.

By Monday, June 28, Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet (PACFLT) will be hosting units and personnel from Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Peru, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand and the United States.

Adm. Patrick Walsh, PACFLT, and Vice Adm. Richard Hunt, Commander, Combined Task Force, are scheduled to officially open the exercise with a press conference June 28 at 9:30 a.m. on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

The world’s largest multi-national maritime exercise, takes place from June 23 through Aug. 1 in the waters around the Hawaiian Islands. The exercise consists of three major phases.

Phase I, the Harbor Phase, from June 28 through July 5 will consist of operational planning meetings, safety briefings and sporting events. This phase is designed to make final preparations for the at-sea phases of the exercises, as well as build on professional and personal relationships between the participating countries.

Phase II, the Operational Phase, driven by a structured schedule of events, starts July 6 and continues through July 24. This portion includes live fire gunnery and missile exercises, maritime interdiction and vessel boardings, anti-surface warfare, undersea warfare, and naval maneuvers, air defense exercises, as well as, explosive ordnance disposal, diving and salvage operations, mine clearance operations, and an amphibious landing. This phase exercises the ability of each nation to conduct robust command and control operations with multinational players and enhances each unit’s operational capabilities.

Phase III, the Tactical Phase of the exercise, is scenario-driven and takes place July 25 through July 30. The intense training during this phase allows participating nations to further strengthen their maritime skills and capabilities and improve their ability to communicate and operate in simulated hostile scenarios. This phase concludes with the ships’ return to Pearl Harbor, where participating nations will reconvene to discuss the exercise and overall accomplishments.

RIMPAC 2010 is themed “Combined Agility, Synergy and Support,” and marks the 22nd exercise in the series that originated in 1971.

http://www.c3f.navy.mil/rimpac_2010.html

Scoopdeck

A photo of the littoral combat ship Freedom taking on fuel is like a photo of a cow grazing — highly predictable behavior from a creature that needs lots and lots of sustenance. That’s not what’s unusual about this picture. Can you spot what is? The answer is after the jump.


It’s a little blurry because this photo was taken from a helicopter, but check out those two colorful jets parked between the AH-1 Super Cobras and the superstructure. What are they doing there? And are those… could they be… Aero Vodochoy L-29 Delphins — Czech jet trainers that first flew in 1963?

Information Dissemination has the answer: About Those Fixed Wing Aircraft on Bonnie Dick (click on link)