By Shirin Bhandari | 2026-06-17

The Philippines has fielded its largest-ever contingent to the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, deploying both naval and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ships to Hawaii in the two services' first joint participation in the multinational drill.

BRP Gabriela Silang of the PCG and the navy's BRP Miguel Malvar departed Guam on June 12 in a group sail with ships from four other nations and are expected to reach Hawaii on June 21, days before the exercise opens on June 24.

According to the PCG, the group sail demonstrated a "shared commitment" to maritime security, freedom of navigation and a rules-based international order at sea, the Philippine Star reported.

RIMPAC was first held in 1971. Since 1974, it has taken place every even-numbered year.

Joint deployment

It marks the PCG's first participation in RIMPAC and the navy's return after last sending a ship in 2022. Naval Task Group 84 is sailing aboard the guided-missile frigate BRP Miguel Malvar (FFG-06).

Navy chief Vice Adm. Jose Ma. Ambrosio Ezpeleta said the return reflects the service's commitment "to becoming a 'credible partner' under our Sail Plan 2040 vision," according to the Philippine News Agency. He added that the joint turnout demonstrates stronger interagency maritime cooperation.

BRP Gabriela Silang carries 98 personnel drawn from specialized search and rescue, humanitarian assistance and medical teams.

Participants will take part in professional exchanges and operational activities spanning amphibious operations, gunnery and missile proficiency, anti-submarine warfare, air defense, military medicine, counter-piracy, mine clearance and disaster response.

Its inclusion reflects the PCG's expanding role in maritime law enforcement, humanitarian assistance, disaster response and climate-related operations, reinforcing a more integrated Philippine presence in multinational engagements.

The deployment comes amid strong domestic support for such activities. An OCTA Research survey released earlier this year found that 71% of Filipinos back joint military exercises and patrols with allies to help secure the West Philippine Sea.

RIMPAC lineup

Hosted biennially by the U.S. Pacific Fleet, RIMPAC 2026 brings together 31 nations, about 40 surface ships, five submarines, 140 aircraft and more than 25,000 personnel. The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, flagship of Carrier Strike Group 9, is leading the U.S. contingent.

U.S. forces participating in the exercise include the guided-missile destroyers USS Paul Hamilton and USS Decatur, the cruiser USS Chosin and the fast-attack submarines USS Charlotte and USS Columbia.

The U.S. Navy committed the Theodore Roosevelt to RIMPAC after weighing whether to keep the carrier available for possible operations in the Middle East amid tensions with Iran, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

South Korea will command the exercise's maritime component and is contributing a destroyer, the submarine Dosan Ahn Changho, a frigate and a P-8A maritime patrol aircraft, according to Stars and Stripes.

Partner contributions

Australia is sending the Hobart-class destroyer HMAS Sydney, which departed Sydney Harbor as part of a regional presence deployment. Chief of Joint Operations Vice Adm. Justin Jones said the mission reinforces Australia's reliability "as a security partner."

Canada is expanding its regional engagement at RIMPAC by deploying the Halifax-class frigates HMCS Regina and HMCS Ottawa with more than 800 personnel and leading the exercise's multinational air component.

The deployment demonstrates Canada's commitment to "a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific," said Vice Adm. Angus Topshee. A founding RIMPAC participant alongside the United States and Australia, Canada has grown its presence in the region in recent years.

As the Philippines expands defense cooperation with regional partners, exercises such as RIMPAC offer practical training to improve interoperability. The PCG said the group sail strengthened operational readiness and the participants' ability to address shared maritime challenges.