U.S. Navy makes a big impression at RIMPAC 2014

Insight

U.S. Navy makes a big impression at RIMPAC 2014

The Rim of the Pacific exercise is gathering the navies of 22 nations, with Chinese ships joining for the very first time. The U.S. is not only hosting the maritime warfare exercise, but also taking the lead in other ways. CCTV’s Nathan King reports with insight from Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

As the big exercises get under way, one fact becomes obvious : the overarching dominance of the of the U.S. Navy in this part of the Pacific. Over half of the ships in the Rim of the Pacific exercises are American.

U.S. Navy makes a big impression at RIMPAC 2014

The Rim of the Pacific exercise is gathering the navies of 22 nations, with Chinese ships joining for the very first time. The U.S. is not only hosting the maritime warfare exercise, but also taking the lead in other ways. CCTV's Nathan King reports with insight from Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

Even so, other countries’ navies are making an impression at this year’s RIMPAC. A Republic of Korea destroyer has the U.S. Aegis missile system. A Japanese destroyer is currently fitting it, and U.S. allies from Japan to Australia are committing billions in upgrading and integrating their systems with the U.S. Navy.

The sheer size of the RIMPAC-area operations means a rare opportunity to test missile systems. A Singaporean ship will be firing their Astor missile, and it’s a big deal.

It’s not just the large ships that show U.S. dominance, but also the small ones. For example, the U.S. Coast Guard cutter has a range of 12,000 nautical miles. It’s been off the coast of Malaysia, the Philippines, and all the way up to the Arctic Circle.

Captain John McKinley commands the Waesche. He says the boat often enforces international law, whether its drugs busts in Central America or stopping illegal fishing in Asia and anti-piracy operations. That’s what they are doing at RIMPAC.

The ship will train alongside all four Chinese vessels over the coming days. The U.S. Coast Guard is used to operating thousands of miles from the U.S. coast for many weeks at a time, a capability their Chinese Coast Guard counterparts are also developing.

For more on RIMPAC and what it means for relations among participating nations, CCTV was joined by Bonnie Glaser. She is Senior Adviser for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C.

Bonnie Glaser talks RIMPAC 2014

For more on RIMPAC and what it means for relations among participating nations, CCTV was joined by Bonnie Glaser. She is Senior Adviser for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C.