RIMPAC under the US umbrella

30.06.2016

Today in Hawaii, the world's largest naval exercises, RIMPAC 2016, begin with the participation of 26 countries.

 

 

General schedule

200 aircraft and helicopters, five submarines, 45 ships and 25,000 men will be involved in the maneuvers in the area of ​​the Hawaiian Islands and off the coast of Southern California. The exercise will involve shooting, surface war maneuvers, and operations involving the use of aircraft. The training will last until August 4th.

 

 

Two ideas

The official idea behind the exercises is providing security for maritime line communications. The first such exercises were held in 1971 and 25 have since been held consecutively. However, given that the US has not ratified the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, demagoguery on freedom of navigation is seen as a cover for US interests. And since US domination is based on Sea Power, this is the basic idea. Drills are the mere practical implementation of this principle under the label of “soft power” and US leadership.

 

Preference for Asians

The Singaporean frigate RSS Steadfast has been selected to guide the actions of the multinational group. This choice was made on account of the communication and operational capacity of their vessels.

For the second time in history, the maneuvers will involve Chinese ships. It should be noted that the anti-Chinese lobby in the US Congress, in particular Mark Takai, tried to ban China from participating in the maneuvers over tensions surrounding the South China Sea.

 

The exercises’ opponents

The main opponents of the maneuvers have for many years been environmentalists. Organizations such as the Earthjustice, Sierra Club and the Basel Action Network previously filed lawsuits against the organizers of RIMPAC. According to environmentalists, as a result of these exercises many fish and marine animals, including rare species, have been killed.

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Exercices