PACIFIC OCEAN (July 18, 2022) Secretary of the Navy The Honorable Carlos Del Toro speaks to Sailors assigned to the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) at an all hands call aboard Essex during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022, July 18, 2022. Twenty-six nations, 38 ships, four submarines, more than 170 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 29 to Aug. 4 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 on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2022 is the 28th exercise in the series that began in 1971. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Richard E. Anglin)