180716-N-YR245-0011 PACIFIC OCEAN (July 16, 2018) Sailors assigned to the air department of the guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain (CG 57) conduct flight operations on the flight deck in the Pacific Ocean during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, July 16, 2018. Twenty-five nations, 45 ships and five submarines, and about 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating RIMPAC from June 27 to Aug. 2 in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world’s largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security of the world’s oceans. RIMPAC 2018 is the 26th exercise in the series that began in 1971. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Craig Z. Rodarte/Released)