SAN DIEGO, — June 10, 2026 : The U.S. Navy’s Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), departed its homeport of San Diego on June 10 to begin transit and preparations for participation in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2026 multinational naval exercise, scheduled to take place from June 24 to July 31 in and around Hawaii and Southern California.
Hosted by the U.S. Pacific Fleet, RIMPAC 2026 marks the 30th edition of the biennial exercise and is expected to be the largest in its history. The exercise will bring together forces from 31 nations, including approximately 40 surface ships, five submarines, more than 140 aircraft, and over 25,000 military personnel. This year’s theme, “Partners: Integrated and Prepared,” emphasizes multinational cooperation, interoperability, and maritime security.
The exercise will be led by Vice Admiral John Wade as Combined Task Force commander. Chile will serve as deputy commander, Japan as vice commander, the Republic of Korea will lead the maritime component, and Canada will command the multinational air component.
During the five-week exercise, participating forces will conduct a wide range of operations, including anti-submarine warfare, air defense missions, amphibious landings, gunnery and missile drills, mine countermeasure operations, explosive ordnance disposal, humanitarian assistance, disaster response, and military medical training.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt serves as the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 9 and carries Carrier Air Wing 11. The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, commissioned in 1986, is approximately 1,092 feet long and can accommodate nearly 5,700 sailors and air wing personnel. Its embarked aircraft include F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, E/A-18G Growlers, and various support and rotary-wing platforms that will participate in multinational air operations during RIMPAC.
Before arriving in Hawaii, the carrier strike group will conduct additional training activities in the Pacific Ocean alongside allied naval forces transiting to the exercise area. Several participating nations, including Canada, the Philippines, Singapore, Italy, and Australia, have already begun deploying ships and conducting interoperability training en route to Pearl Harbor.
The Theodore Roosevelt recently completed readiness training following its previous extended Indo-Pacific deployment and will play a central role in the U.S. contribution to RIMPAC 2026. The exercise remains one of the most important multinational maritime training events, providing partner nations with opportunities to strengthen operational coordination and enhance collective readiness across the Indo-Pacific region.
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