Ilya Kramnik
The Russian Navy’s Pacific Fleet Ships will be taking part in the largest international war games – RIMPAC-12. The Russian detachment consists of the large anti-submarine ship “Admiral Panteleev”, marine rescue ship “Photius Krylov” and tanker “Boris Butoma”.
The RIMPAC war games have been conducted since 1971, but it is for the first time that the Russian Navy is participating in them.
China “gently outflanked”
RIMPAC (which stands for “Rim of Pacific Exercise” – naval maneuvers involving Pacific countries) does not belong to the currently popular “humanitarian maneuvers”. It is a serious military war game aimed at testing combat interaction between the US fleet and fleets of its allies in the Asia-Pacific region. What’s more interesting is to analyze the list of participants.
In 2012, the fighting ships of Australia, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, the US, France, Chile, South Korea, and Japan are going to improve their battle training. Soldiers from Great Britain, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Norway, Peru, the Philippines, Thailand, and Tonga are going to take part in some episodes both onboard their ships and on the other countries’ bases. In all, 22 countries are involved in the maneuvers. Bangladesh, Brunei, Brazil, Vietnam, Cambodia, Papua New Guinea and Sri Lanka will be represented by observers. Altogether, 25,000 soldiers, 42 fighting and support ships, six submarines, more than 200 aircraft and deck- and shore-based helicopters are going to take part in RIMPAC-12.
Yet it is much more interesting to pay attention to which countries are not in the list. Among the participants we find neither China nor, of course, North Korea, or Pakistan – China’s close ally and “client”. Their absence is quite understandable: at RIMPAC, China and North Korea are traditionally considered as possible enemies.
Read the full story at The Voice of Russia