The 29th iteration of the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise is set to cover all major aspects of warfare and naval operations, from anti-submarine warfare to disaster response. Partner nations from around the world have gathered in Hawaii to participate in a range of exercises and team building spanning the next month.
Carter Johnston
28 Jun 2024
Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024 has officially begun in Hawai’i, bringing 29 partner nations and 25,000 personnel, making this year’s RIMPAC in the largest iteration to date by number of countries involved. Over the next month, from June 27th to August 1st, participants will embark on exercises that cover all the bases of the maritime domain, from disaster response to multi-axis carrier defense.
RIMPAC 2024 Combined Task Force Commander Vice Admiral John Wade opened the day answering questions and beginning the formal ceremony that kicked off this year’s iteration of RIMPAC.
Advertisement
Vice Adm. John Wade, Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet and Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024 Combined Task Force Commander, answers questions during the opening press conference for RIMPAC 2024 held at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, June 27. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Sarah C. Eaton
Partner nations have been arriving in Hawai’i by sea and air over the past few weeks, building up the scores of aircraft, ships, and submarines in the days before RIMPAC. Notable participants this year include a French Aquitaine-class FREMM Frigate Bretagne (D655), Royal Netherlands Navy’s De Zeven Provinciën-class air defense frigate HNLMS Tromp (F803), the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) with its F-35C Lightning II Advanced Air Wing, and a South Korean Sejong the Great-class ROKS Yulgok Yi I (DDG-992), among dozens of other ships and submarines participating.
Participating nations in this year’s iteration of RIMPAC are Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Republic of Korea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga and the United Kingdom.
Royal Netherlands Navy frigate HNLMS Tromp (F803) arrives at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024 as US Air Force F-22A Raptors fly overhead, Jun. 26. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Sarah C. Eaton)
The RIMPAC 2024 Docket
While a full list of events is not public, the U.S. Navy has confirmed that this year’s RIMPAC will feature the largest humanitarian aid and disaster response to date.
This year’s RIMPAC will host its largest humanitarian aid and disaster relief exercise with eight countries, five ships, five landing craft, five aircraft, multiple land forces, and over 2,500 total participants including the statewide Hawaii Healthcare Emergency Management exercise. The exercise control and scenario development are supported by subject matter experts from the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management, Pacific Disaster Center, USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, and Singapore’s Changi Regional Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Coordination Centre.
U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet Press Statement
Customary to RIMPAC, a SINKEX is also planned for mid-July featuring ex-USS Tarawa (LHA-1), an amphibious assault ship that served in the United States Navy from 1976 to 2009. Tarawa was stricken from the naval registry on April 30, 2024. More SINKEX events may be planned, but their details are not currently available to the public.
Other at-sea activities include anti-submarine warfare, multi-ship surface warfare, multinational amphibious landings, and multi-axis defense of the carrier strike group against live forces.
Comet C/2025 A6, better known as Comet Lemmon, was one of the latest icy visitors to swing through our neighborhood of the solar system, leaving astronomers and casual skywatchers equally delighted. For observers in Hawaii, the glow of the Milky Way didn’t dim the streak of light made by this comet passing through.
What is it?
Comet Lemmon was discovered in January 2025 and made its closest approach to Earth in late October 2025. But by November 2025, when this image was taken, it had brightened to about the same apparent brightness as the planet Uranus, making it visible to the naked eye even from suburban skies.
Where is it?
This image was taken atop the volcanic peak Mauna Kea, on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Comet Lemmon could be seen with the naked eye as it streaked across the sky. (Image credit: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURAImage processing: M. Rodriguez (International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab) & M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab))
Why is it amazing?
Comets are notoriously unpredictable, so Comet Lemmon’s surprising visibility has felt like a bit of a cosmic bonus for Hawaiian stargazers. And this was a rare treat, as the comet won’t return to Earth’s skies for another 1,350 years, around the year 3375.
Framing this comet is the glow of our home galaxy, the Milky Way, which is easier to spot at higher elevations like Mauna Kea’s peak, where there is less light pollution. The image gives us a souvenir from a celestial visitor that won’t be back for more than a millennium.
Want to learn more?
You can learn more about comets and skywatching.
Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!
WASHINGTON, D.C. (HawaiiNewsNow) – U.S. Senators Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois) reintroduced a piece of legislation on Thursday to strengthen protections for immigrant families and address long-standing problems in the family immigration system.
The Reuniting Families Act aims to reduce visa backlogs, boost efficiency across the immigration process, and ensure a fairer, more humane process for immigrant families.
“Immigrant families currently experience unnecessary obstacles and delays due to our country’s broken immigration system, keeping families separated for potentially long periods of time,” Hirono said. “By reducing family-based immigration backlogs and making common sense updates to how we treat families, the Reuniting Families Act will help take the first step in the right direction to keeping families together as they navigate our immigration system.”
According to the senators behind this bill, nearly four million people with approved visa applications are currently trapped in a massive immigration backlog, with many waiting more than a decade to reunite with their loved ones.
Advertisement
“As Donald Trump’s inhumane mass deportation campaign rips apart families and communities across the country, it’s paramount we address the unnecessary barriers in our immigration system that have created backlogs and kept families apart for years,” Duckworth said. “Our legislation would implement commonsense reforms to help end family-based backlogs, which keep too many with approved green card applications stuck in bureaucratic limbo, and help get more families where they belong—together.”
The Reuniting Families Act would shorten delays by recapturing unused visas, rolling them into future years, expanding who qualifies as a family member to include permanent partners, and increasing both the total number of available family preference visas and per-country limits.
The bill would also put a time limit on visa processing, so no applicant has to wait more than 10 years for a visa if they have an approved application.
Click here to read the full bill.
Copyright 2025 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
HONOLULU (AP) — Henry Rouhliadeff scored 16 points to lead six Hawaii players in double figures and the Rainbow Warriors beat Division-II Hawaii Hilo 98-46 on Wednesday night.
Rouhliadeff made 6 of 9 from the field and finished with nine rebounds and five assists. Dre Bullock scored 12 points for Hawaii (9-2) and Hunter Erickson, Aaron Hunkin-Claytor, Gytis Nemeiksa and Isaac Finlinson added 11 points apiece.
Jamal Entezami led Hawaii Hilo with 11 points and Jessiya Villa scored 10.
Advertisement
Hawaii shot 51% overall and made 13 3-pointers. The Rainbow Warriors, who went into the game averaging 13.4 assists per game, had a season-high 25 assists on 35 made field goals.
The 52-point margin of victory was Hawaii’s largest since a 106-49 win over Redlands on Jan. 28, 1972, and the third largest in program history. The Rainbow Warriors beat BYU Hawaii by 67 (106-49) in the 1962-63 season.
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
