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The Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, held in 2026, saw a record 30 nations and about 30,000 personnel participating in a five-week drill focused on testing new weapons, logistics systems, and command and control techniques amidst heightened U.S.-China and North Korea tensions.
The Rim of the Pacific exercise concluded Friday in Hawaii with a record 30 nations and roughly 30,000 personnel participating, as U.S. allies deepened military cooperation in the face of increased Chinese aggression and North Korea's expanding nuclear program.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Manila on Wednesday, reaffirming the U.S. commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific while acknowledging the need for the two superpowers to maintain a working relationship.
North Korea's state media on Friday denounced the ongoing U.S.-led Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC), calling the multinational drill a "war rehearsal" that it said would trigger a "chain of proportional countermeasures" from countries in the region. The criticism was carried in an op-ed published by the Korean Central News Agency.