HAWAII, 27 June – 2 August 2018 – RIMPAC, the Rim of the Pacific Exercise, is held biennially and is the world’s premier multi-national maritime warfare exercise. The 26th RIMPAC this year commenced on the 27 June and ends on 2 August 2018. RIMPAC 2018 entails involvement from 26 nations, more than 50 surface ships, 5 submarines, 18 national land forces, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel. The exercise is held in and around Hawaiian Islands and Southern California.
Brunei Darussalam sent four officers from the Royal Brunei Navy (RBN) as participants in the exercise, attached at the Maritime Operations Centre (MOC) and are given the opportunity in working as part of the Combined Force Maritime Component Commander (CFMCC) staff, under the leadership of Chilean Commodore Pablo Niemann. Lieutenant Commander Ade Roddiane bin Hj Md Rosli, RBN, the Commanding Officer of KDB SYAFAAT is tasked as the Assistant Battle Watch Captain (ABWC) in the Combined Exercise Control Group (CECG) which is responsible for the coordination and providing direction to the activities of the CFMCC staff and in ensuring the smooth transmission of information between each CFMCC cells and higher command. Lieutenant Mohammad Nabil bin Jalil, RBN, Air Warfare Officer of KDB DARUSSALAM, will be involved in the Future Operations (FOPS) cell and is responsible in planning future operations within the exercise depending on real life situations and scenario injects. The FOPS cell utilises the Operational Planning Process in order to anticipate any issues that may arise in the exercise and come up with multiple solutions to ensure achievement of exercises and national objectives. Lieutenant Hasmin bin Hj Hashim, RBN, the Second-In-Command Logistics of RBN, is responsible in providing logistical guidance and demands as operationally required. Working in the Fleet Logistics Centre, Lieutenant Hasmin is responsible in ensuring logistical requirements for all ships, whether in real life or scenario, are met. Lieutenant Junior Grade Najihah binti Hj Abd Hisab, RBN, Officer of the Watch of KDB BERKAT, works in Current Operations (COPS) cell and is responsible in coordinating current operations, deconflicting assets and ensuring that all assests involved are able to conduct their respective exercises in a safe manner. A Crisis Action Team (CAT) is also embedded within COPS cell whereby the team is responsible in handling real life incidents that has an impact on the exercise.
RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that enables nations to work together in a multi-national coalition in order to establish, sustain and strengthen strategic partnerships and cooperative relationships that are crucial in ensuring the safety of the seas and security of the world’s oceans in the world’s current security landscape. Working in a multi-national and a large context such as RIMPAC brings with it a few challenges, especially in overcoming diversity in experiences, knowledge, cultures and standard operating procedures (SOPs) which is why the objective of the 26th RIMPAC aims to ameliorate such differences by enhancing interoperability that cuts across these differences, through the exercise of trust and transparency amongst partners, so that the outcome of the exercise is aligned with the theme of the 26th RIMPAC which is to build “Capable Adaptive Partners”.
This year’s exercise includes forces from Australia, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, 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. There are numerous notable firsts during the 26th RIMPAC such as Brazil, Israel, Sri Lanka and Vietnam in joining the exercise. Additional firsts include New Zealand serving as Sea Combat Commander (SCC) and Chile serving as CFMCC and assuming a component commander leadership position. Another first is the integration and involvement of a land based unit in the live firing event during RIMPAC where they aim to trial the ability of the Army in cross-domain firing. The nature of the exercises are predominantly related to maritime warfare and Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR). RIMPAC 2018 also includes high-risk and challenging serials such as missile firing and torpedo firing.
Brunei Darussalam’s first participation in RIMPAC was in 2014 where the DARUSSALAM class Patrol Vessels, KDB DARUSSALAM and KDB DARULAMAN successfully conducted its first Exocet MM40 Surface to Surface Missile firing in the Pacific Missile Range Facility (RMRF), 80 nautical miles north of Kaua’I Island.
