Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet concluded the Commanders Conference for Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2026, March 20, 2026, marking a key milestone in planning for the world’s largest international maritime exercise.

Senior leaders and planners, representing more than 30 allied and partner nations, gathered for the five-day conference to review major elements of the upcoming exercise and build on progress achieved during the Mid-Planning Conference held in December. The in-person engagement enabled participants to strengthen professional relationships and advance coordination ahead of integrated operations during RIMPAC 2026.

U.S. Navy Capt. Brian Jamison, RIMPAC 2026 exercise director, delivered opening remarks on the first day of the conference, formally commencing the event.

“This is a very important planning milestone for execution later this summer,” said Jamison. “This is our opportunity to come together in person, to work on some of the key deliverables, and get into the teamwork that it’s going to take to make this very successful.”

U.S. Navy Vice Adm. John Wade, commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet, welcomed attendees and emphasized the importance of multinational cooperation and shared commitment among participating nations.

“I want to make sure that everyone from the most senior to the most junior is thanked for your hard work that allowed us to come to beautiful Sydney, Australia, to align and synchronize with each other,” said Wade. “This exercise is an opportunity for the young men and women who have volunteered to serve to get better, to get stronger, to become more proficient and capable.”

Wade also underscored the conference’s role in ensuring RIMPAC builds successful international maritime partnerships built on trust and cooperation.

“This conference allows us to purposefully and methodically go through the plan and make sure that we’ve done our homework to ensure that we do this safely and professionally, obtain objectives strategically, operationally, and tactically, not only collectively as a team, but each of our nations and our services,” added Wade.

RIMPAC 2026 will mark the 30th iteration of the biennial exercise and will coincide with the United States’ 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The exercise is designed to bring allied and partner nations together to enhance interoperability, strengthen collective maritime security and reinforce enduring cooperation across the Indo-Pacific.

First conducted in 1971, RIMPAC was initially held annually before transitioning to a biennial schedule in 1974, due to its growing scale and scope. The founding participants were the United States, Australia and Canada.