The World's Largest Maritime Festival Is Coming To Hawaii

Twenty-six nations will bring hundreds of boats, submarines, and aircraft to the waters of Hawaii for the world’s biggest maritime festival.

If you see a bunch of battleships and fighter planes massing in Hawaii, don’t panic. What’s happening off the coast of Oahu is not war, but war games. Rim of the Pacific, or RIMPAC, brings over two dozen nations and over 50 boats and submarines to the islands for what the U.S. Navy calls “a unique training opportunity.”

The biennial exercises will cover everything from “disaster relief and maritime security operations to sea control and complex warfighting,” according to the U.S. Navy, and will run from June 27 through August 2, 2018.

USS Kitty Hawk off the coast of Hawaii at RIMPAC 2008

The exercises began in 1971 and are “designed to foster and sustain cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s interconnected oceans.” This year, ships, submarines, and fighter jets will scramble along with 25,000 service personnel. There will also be several missile-firing exercises, amphibious operations, counter-piracy and other training.

Nations sending forces to this year’s RIMPAC are Australia, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga, the United Kingdom, the United States and Vietnam. Brazil, Israel, Sri Lanka and Vietnam are all participating in the exercises for the first time; however, previous participant China was disinvited by Donald Trump.

CH-53D Sea Stallion helicopters at RIMPAC 2008

Of course, it’s not all about the boats and the bombs. There will be 18 concerts by musicians from around the world and a number of sporting events for RIMPAC participants in their off-hours. An “Innovation Fair” will feature exhibitions, displays, contests, and special events, with a special focus on robotics, virtual reality, and other technological advances. After all, when you’re making what the U.S. Navy calls “a robust constellation of allies and partners,” sometimes a little after-hours palling around helps.

landscape with balloons floating in the air

KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.