Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain (foreground) steams with international navy ships during exercise RIMPAC 2018. (Photo: U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist Second Class Zackary Alan Landers)Rim of the Pacific 2018 (RIMPAC), hosted by U.S. Pacific Fleet, brought together more than 25,000 military personnel, 45 ships, five submarines, and more than 200 aircraft from 25 nations to the Hawaiian Islands and its waters, June 27th-August 2nd. The world’s largest multinational maritime exercise held biennially aims at improving the interoperability, while strengthening trust and friendship, of armed forces of countries in the Pacific Basin—as well as others outside of the region—to foster stability in the vast expanse of water. The exercise focused on disaster relief, maritime security operations, sea control, and complex war fighting.