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MODERATOR:  Greetings from the U.S. Department of State’s Asia Pacific Media Hub.  I’m Tim Johnson, and it’s my pleasure to welcome journalists to today’s on-the-record briefing.  Today we’re honored to be joined by Vice Admiral Jeffrey T. Jablon of the United States, Rear Admiral Takuo Kobayashi of Japan, and Rear Admiral In-ho Kim of the Republic of Korea.  Our speakers today will discuss the 2026 Rim of the Pacific Exercise, known as RIMPAC.

With that, let’s get started.  Vice Admiral Jablon, I’ll turn it over to you for your opening remarks.

VICE ADMIRAL JABLON:  Well, thank you, Tim, and good afternoon.  As Tim said, I am Vice Admiral Jeff Jablon.  I am Commander, Combined Task Force RIMPAC, and I want to thank each of you for joining us from across the Pacific and around the world this afternoon.  I really appreciate the work that you do, and we are all happy here to take the time with you this afternoon as RIMPAC 2026 comes to a close this week.

So I want to give some background on RIMPAC.  RIMPAC began in 1971, and this year marks the 30th iteration of the world’s largest international maritime exercise.  Over the past several weeks, we’ve brought together 30 nations, more than 30,000 personnel, 31 surface ships, five submarines, and over 190 aircraft to train together in and around Hawaii.

Our theme this year is “Partners: Integrated and Prepared,” and it captures exactly what this exercise is all about.  The SAILEXes on the way to RIMPAC demonstrated coordinated maneuvering, maritime fires, and combined command and control across a diverse multinational formation.  This year’s major tactical events showed integration in action.  Our SINKEXes brought together nine nations to identify and destroy two hulls, the ex-Mobile Bay and the ex-Peleliu, in a realistic maritime environment.  Our culminating amphibious operations, led by Peru, validated integrated planning, ship-to-shore movement, and combined effects across the maritime, air, and land domains.  Each event reflected the professionalism, trust, and capability this coalition brings to the Pacific.

RIMPAC 2026 strengthened humanitarian assistance and disaster response, or HADR, readiness.  Our training brought together military forces, interagency partners, nongovernmental organizations, and international observers to rehearse core disaster response tasks, including mass casualty care, medical triage, logistics coordination, and rapid delivery of relief supplies.  These events sharpened our ability to respond at a moment’s notice and reinforce the trust and interoperability we rely on when communities across the Pacific and the world need help.  This event was so successful, we will be expanding HADR operations in RIMPAC 2028.

No single nation can ensure security in the Pacific alone.  The global maritime environment is too large and too complex for any one country to safeguard by itself.  RIMPAC gives us the chance to build the trust and relationships that make us stronger long before any crisis happens.  When nations know each other, train together, and communicate well, they can respond faster and more effectively, whether it’s a security challenge, a humanitarian crisis, or a natural disaster.

This year during RIMPAC ’26, our forces executed more than 500 maritime exercise events, over 2,400 flight sorties, and responded to more than 5,000 scenario-based problem sets.  Those realistic scenarios strengthen combined readiness across the maritime, air, cyber, and amphibious domains.  We saw real interoperability gains, including coordinated maritime operations, integrated logistics, and improved information sharing practices that allow this coalition to operate as a cohesive, capable force.  We also incorporated more than 35 experiments focused on unmanned systems and emerging technologies.  We demonstrated shipboard 3D printing linked with autonomous drone delivery and executed an historic unmanned underway replenishment when a Typhoon unmanned surface vessel autonomously entered the well deck of the USS Essex.  These efforts help us understand how new capabilities fit into the fight and give operators real-world feedback early in the process.

RIMPAC showcased historic leadership milestones.  The Republic of Korea commanded the Combined Force Maritime Component for the first time.  Peru led the Amphibious Task Force, a first for any Latin American navy.  Chile served as a deputy commander of the entire Combined Task Force.  And the Philippine Coast Guard participated for the first time with an offshore patrol vessel.  These roles reflect partner capability, shared responsibility, and the momentum this exercise continues to build towards future multinational exercises and readiness.

Environmental stewardship was one of my top priorities.  We work closely with the state of Hawaii, their agencies, Native Hawaiian organizations to protect cultural resources, and we continue the Navy’s commitment to marine mammal research and mitigation.  Balancing realistic training with responsible environmental practices is essential to how we operate.

This year’s exercise carried additional significance as it coincided with the 250th anniversary of the United States.  For 250 years, our nation has built enduring relationships with allies and partners based on trust, mutual respect, and shared interests.  RIMPAC demonstrates that the U.S. operates alongside capable partners who share a commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific for all nations, regardless of size or strength.

I’m proud of what this team accomplished and I’m confident these partnerships will strengthen how we operate together in the years ahead.  I appreciate your interest in this year’s exercise and look forward to your questions.

With that, I’d like to introduce two key leaders who played central roles in RIMPAC 2026:  Rear Admiral Kobayashi, our Vice Commander of the Combined Task Force, and Rear Admiral Kim, the Commander of the Combined Force Maritime Component.  I’ll first turn it over to Rear Admiral Kobayashi.

REAR ADMIRAL KOBAYASHI:  Thank you, Admiral Jablon.  Thank you, Tim, and good afternoon, all.  I’m Rear Admiral Kobayashi from Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.  It is my pleasure to join Vice Admiral Jablon and Rear Admiral Kim today.

Japan has participated in RIMPAC exercises since 1980, and each exercise gives us an important opportunity to improve how we communicate, coordinate, and operate with our partners, such as Korea.  I look forward to sharing the lessons we gained from this year’s training.  Thank you.

VICE ADMIRAL JABLON:  And now I’ll turn it over to Rear Admiral Kim.

REAR ADMIRAL KIM:  Thank you.  Good afternoon.  I’m Admiral In-ho Kim of the Republic of Korea Navy.  (Inaudible) this year’s RIMPAC.  It is my pleasure to join this interview and speak about the 2026 RIMPAC.

Just like all RIMPAC, the SINKEX’s main focus was to bring all participating nations together as one team.  I look forward to sharing how ROK Navy worked and contributed toward this goal (inaudible).  Thank you.

MODERATOR:  Thank you very much.  We’ll now turn to the Q&A portion of today’s briefing.  Our first question goes to Hyunsoo Kim of Yonhap, if you could please unmute yourself and go ahead.

QUESTION:  Hello, can you hear me?

MODERATOR:  Yes.

QUESTION:  Oh, great.  So my question is:  How do you assess South Korea’s role as Commander of Combined Maritime Component Forces during this year’s RIMPAC?  And how did South Korea’s taking on this role bolster or enhance the country’s efforts to achieve OPCON transfer from Washington?

And also, my second question is:  Did RIMPAC open up new opportunities for shipbuilding cooperation between South Korea and the U.S. and/or Japan?  Thank you.

REAR ADMIRAL KIM:  Okay, thank you for a good question.  RIMPAC is a multinational exercise that helps protect the sea lanes of communication and respond to maritime threat and improve interoperability and combine operational capabilities.

By taking part in RIMPAC, the ROK Navy continues to strengthen its ability to conduct combined operations.  In this sense (inaudible), RIMPAC (inaudible) give us a valuable opportunity to further improve our ability to lead and carry out combined maritime operations.  However, RIMPAC is not a training exercise specifically designed for the transfer of wartime operational control.  Through RIMPAC and other combined exercise, the ROK Navy will continue to improve our ability to plan and command combined operations following the transition.

With respect to shipbuilding cooperation, those policy matters that are best addressed by the appropriate national authorities.  From the RIMPAC perspective, our purpose is on improving interoperability through realistic multinational training.

MODERATOR:  Thank you so much.  Our next question goes to Ridzwan Rahmat of Janes in Singapore, if you could please unmute yourself and go ahead.

QUESTION:  Yes, hi.  Thank you for the opportunity.  I would just like to ask about the Taigei-class submarine that was involved in the SINKEX.  I understand it’s the first time that a torpedo has been used from the Taigei-class submarine in a live-firing exercise at RIMPAC.  Correct me if I’m wrong.  So can I understand what are the lessons learned from that firing exercise?  Are there any implications with regards to capabilities of the submarine that you have not tested before?  And what are – were there any sharing of sensor information with the U.S. Navy with regards to the sinking exercise?  Thank you very much.

VICE ADMIRAL JABLON:  Okay.  This is Vice Admiral Jablon.  So the SINKEX, we actually had two SINKEXes that were extremely successful.  And the SINKEXes were one of the clearest demonstrations of what “Partners: Integrated and Prepared” looks like in practice.  We had forces from Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, and the United States who worked together to execute the full kill chain.  So detecting, tracking, targeting, and engaging, as you talked about with the submarine engaging with a torpedo, using live ordinance in a realistic maritime environment.

Now, what stood out was how seamlessly these nations integrated sensors, shooters, and command and control across different platforms, languages, and technologies.  Each of those nations brought real capability to the table, and the Combined Force operated as a single cohesive team.  That level of coordination strengthens deterrence, improves readiness, and reinforces our shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.  Multilateral partnerships enhance regional security and prosperity by demonstrating collective resolve and shared capability, and the SINKEX was just one example during RIMPAC.  Thank you.

MODERATOR:  Thank you.  Our next question goes to Ben Packham of The Australian, if you could please unmute yourself and go ahead.

QUESTION:  Hi, thank you.  Look, just a broader question.  What sort of relevance does this exercise have in a sort of future Taiwan scenario?

VICE ADMIRAL JABLON:  This is Admiral Jablon again.  RIMPAC isn’t about signaling to any one country; it’s about readiness of all the participation nations.  And the Pacific is really vast, and no single nation can ensure stability alone.  And what you see during RIMPAC is 30 nations improving their ability to operate together, respond to crisis, and deter aggression.  The scale reflects our shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific and the strength of our theme, “Partners: Integrated and Prepared.”

This exercise strengthens collective capability, which is essential in today’s security environment.  RIMPAC participants work together to strengthen regional security, prevent coercion, and preserve sovereignty across the Pacific.  Thank you.

MODERATOR:  Thank you.  Our next question goes to Rex Espiritu of The Manila Standard, if you could please unmute yourself and go ahead.

QUESTION:  Good morning here from the Philippines.  U.S. Vice Admiral Hablon, this question is directly to you, sir.  Sir, I believe the Philippine Coast Guard and other nations joined RIMPAC HADR exercise.  Given the situation and location of the Philippines, sir, in the Indo-Pacific region and its experiences in different disaster and calamity, how this exercise, sir, will strengthen participant skills when it comes to HADR?  Thank you, sir.

VICE ADMIRAL JABLON:  So first I want to talk about the Philippine Coast Guard participation, which was the first time ever the Philippine Coast Guard has participated.  And they really brought valuable capability to the exercise, especially in maritime law enforcement, search and rescue, and humanitarian assistance that you just talked about.  BRP Gabriela Silang integrated seamlessly with partner nations throughout the at-sea phase.  Their participation reflects the growing role of coast guards in regional security and reinforces our shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.  It also highlights the strength of the U.S.-Philippines partnership.  Capable maritime partners are essential to sharing the burden of securing the global commons and preserving sovereignty across the Pacific, and the Philippine Coast Guard involvement in RIMPAC is just one example.  So thank you for that question.

MODERATOR:  All right, our next question goes to Samantha Beltran of The South China Morning Post, if you could please unmute yourself and go ahead.

QUESTION:  Good morning.  So I have two questions.  So first, for allies such as the Philippines and those in the first island chain, what were the most important benchmarks for success in this exercise?

And for my second question, South Korean Rear Admiral In-ho Kim is the first officer from an Asian country to lead RIMPAC’s Multinational Component – Maritime Multinational Component, while Japan’s Rear Admiral Takuo Kobayashi served as Vice Commander of the Combined Task Force.  What was the value and importance of having officials from Asian forces take on leadership roles in this exercise?  Thank you.

VICE ADMIRAL JABLON:  Let me answer – this is Admiral Jablon.  I’ll answer the first one and then I’ll turn it over to my leadership on my right and left side to answer the second question.

So really, for RIMPAC 2026, what stood out is how quickly this multinational force integrated.  Our theme, “Partners: Integrated and Prepared,” isn’t just a theme.  It’s exactly what we saw in land, in air, and at sea.  We had 30 nations executing more than 500 maritime events, and the combined force demonstrated real gains in how we detect, track, and defeat maritime threats together.  The leadership structure – including Chile, the Republic of Korea, Canada, and Japan – that could meet in key command roles allowed us to operate as a cohesive, capable team from day one.

This level of integration reflects an asymmetric advantage – interoperability with allies and partners that adversaries cannot match – and it strengthens our shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

And I’ll turn it over to Admiral Kobayashi for his thoughts on the leadership aspect.

REAR ADMIRAL KOBAYASHI:  Yeah, this is Rear Admiral Kobayashi.  So again, no single nation can address these complex security issues around.  So that’s why the RIMPAC force is needed to have a multinational leadership for (inaudible) and soldiers.

From my perspective serving as the Vice Commander for this Multilateral Combined Command, (inaudible) for me that despite their different capabilities and expertise, nations can collaborate effectively towards a shared objective.  I believe that the foundation for successful multilateral cooperation lies in the relationship of trust and the mutual understanding built over time.  That’s why we are here for our RIMPAC Exercise.  Thank you.

REAR ADMIRAL KIM:  Okay.  I’m Rear Admiral Kim.  I believe this exercise showed that the ROK Navy can effectively command and integrate to the Multinational Maritime Force (inaudible) and coordinated multinational ships and assessed to conduct its mission on the common operation objective.  This achievement was not built in a single exercise.  It was based on many years of RIMPAC experience and the trust we built with the participants.

I believe the ROK Navy successfully met the given responsibility and expectation.  Thank you.

VICE ADMIRAL JABLON:  Hey, Admiral Jablon.  I just want to add one more thought about this, is that from my perspective, I saw high-level professionalism and trust between the leadership roles and the individuals.  As I mentioned earlier, Chile served as deputy commander.  Korea commanded the maritime component.  Canada commanded the air component and Japan led the humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.  And those leadership roles weren’t symbolic; they were operational.  And each nation brought real capability and the combined force benefited from their leadership.

Shared responsibility is a core part of the theme, “Partners: Integrated and Prepared,” and it strengthens our ability to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific.  What you saw were closer to closer military integration, which enabled clear lines of communication and fostered cooperation to meet regional and global challenges.  Thank you.

MODERATOR:  Thank you so much.  We’re going to move to Raissa Robles of South China Morning Post, if you could unmute yourself and go ahead.

QUESTION:  Good morning from Manila.  From your brief history, RIMPAC was established during the Cold War.  I want to ask:  What has changed with RIMPAC since the end of the Cold War to today, when new technology like drone swarms and submarine drones are being used with much effectiveness in certain ongoing conflicts?

And my second question is:  How is RIMPAC relevant to the Philippine Navy and Coast Guard and its conflict in the South China Sea?  Thank you.

VICE ADMIRAL JABLON:  I think the theme of RIMPAC with multinational cooperation with likeminded nations to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific remains from the start of RIMPAC in 1971 all the way through to 2026.  And what you’ve seen is a expansion, which started in 1971 at five nations, now out to 30 nations, that likeminded nations joining together to improve trust, build those relationships, being able to operate together is really a common theme throughout, but the expansion has been really significant.  And I think that’s a major impetus for maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific.

As I talked about before, the participation of the Philippines, especially the first time for the Philippine Coast Guard, is really a significant event for RIMPAC as we look to expand in the future participation of a coast guard through law enforcement, through maritime exercises, to make RIMPAC even more effective in ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific.  Thank you.

MODERATOR:  Thank you.  Our next question goes to Jayvee Vallejera of the Pacific Island Times, if you could please unmute yourself and go ahead.

QUESTION:  Hello, can you hear me?

MODERATOR:  Yes.

QUESTION:  Hello.  Thank you and good morning.  I have two questions.  First, in early July, China test fired a nuclear-capable ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean.  They said it was part of their annual training.  It happened as RIMPAC was ongoing and was about to wrap up.  Would you like to comment on that?

Secondly, Guam is often called the tip of the spear in America’s defense strategy in the Indo-Pacific region.  Was there any reason why Guam was not included in the RIMPAC this year?  That’s all.  Thank you.

VICE ADMIRAL JABLON:  So to answer your question, RIMPAC isn’t about signaling to one country; it’s really about readiness.  And as I mentioned before, the Pacific is extremely vast.  No single country can ensure stability alone.  When you see 30 nations improving their ability to operate together, respond to crisis, and deter aggression, that’s significant.  And that scale reflects our shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific and the strength of our theme, “Partners: Integrated and Prepared.”

And as I said previously, this exercise strengthens collective capability, which is essential to today’s security environment.  RIMPAC participants work together to strengthen regional security, protect coercion, and preserve sovereignty across the Pacific.

With respect to your question of Guam, Guam is a part of the United States, and we had U.S. forces obviously as part of RIMPAC.

MODERATOR:  All right, thank you.  We have time for one more question and it will go to Franco Jose Baroña of The Manila Bulletin, if you could please unmute yourself – excuse me, The Manila Times, if you could please unmute yourself and go ahead.

QUESTION:  Yes, good morning from Manila.  How does RIMPAC contribute to improving maritime security and freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in contested areas such as South China Sea/West Philippine Sea?  Thank you.

VICE ADMIRAL JABLON:  Again, RIMPAC, for our theme of “Partners: Integrated and Prepared,” brings together 30 likeminded nations who build the trust, cooperation, and the interoperability to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific.  Through our exercises over the last month, we’ve been able to work together, operate, and conduct, as I said, over 5,000 different events in RIMPAC, showing our relationship is true.  We’re able to operate together, we’re able to communicate together, and we enabled a very successful RIMPAC.  We’ve got most of the force coming back to Pearl Harbor today, and we’ll be ending RIMPAC this Friday.  But overall, extremely pleased with the RIMPAC 2026 and the outcome of all our events.  Thank you.

MODERATOR:  Thank you so much.  That brings us to the end of today’s briefing.  Before we conclude, though, I’ll turn it back to our speakers if they have any closing remarks.

VICE ADMIRAL JABLON:  Okay, what we’ll do is I’ll turn it over to Admiral Kobayashi first, then Admiral Kim, and then I’ll provide closing remarks at the end.  Thank you.

REAR ADMIRAL KOBAYASHI:  Thank you, Admiral Jablon.  For me, RIMPAC reminded us that the interoperability is something we must continue to develop.  Different language, procedures, and systems can create gaps, and realistic trainings allows us to identify and reduce those gaps before a real crisis occurs.  (Inaudible) shared experiences and personal relationships developed during RIMPAC Exercise strengthen our ability to respond together, whether supporting maritime security or assisting communities after disaster.  By continuing to prepare together, we support secure sea lanes in a free and open Indo-Pacific.  Thank you.

REAR ADMIRAL KIM:  I’m Admiral Kim.  As the (inaudible) for this year’s RIMPAC, I would like to thank all participating nations for their strong support and commitment.  I believe we successfully achieved our shared goal of establishing maritime security and enhancing interoperability.

Also, I want to express my gratitude to the media for the strong interest in the exercise.  Thank you all for joining us today.  Thank you.

VICE ADMIRAL JABLON:  Thank you, Admiral Kim.  And I also want to express my thanks to the media and for you that are out there on this call for your thoughtful questions and for your continued coverage of RIMPAC 2026.  The interest from journalists across the Pacific reflects the importance of this exercise and the value of transparency as our nations train together.

RIMPAC is about strengthening relationships, improving interoperability, and preparing capable partners to operate together whenever and wherever needed.  While RIMPAC lasts a little over a month, the trust, cooperation, and integration built here endure well beyond the conclusion of this training exercise.  This year’s training across the maritime, air, cyber, and amphibious domains shows what “Partners: Integrated and Prepared” looks like in practice and reinforces our shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Thank you again for joining us today, and we all appreciate your time and your interest.  Thank you.

MODERATOR:  All right, thank you so much to our speakers and thank you to journalists for joining us today.  We’ll provide a transcript of the briefing to participating journalists as soon as it’s available.  If you have any feedback or further questions, please feel free to contact us at AsiaPacMedia@state.gov.  Thanks again for your participation and we hope to join – hope you can join us for another briefing soon.  Take care.