SINGAPORE - RSS Supreme, a Formidable-class frigate from the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), will participate in this year's Rim of the Pacific (Rimpac) Exercise, which will take place in Hawaii from Aug 17 to 31.
The RSN will be participating in the exercise for the seventh time. This year, it will undertake the role of task group commander.
Rimpac Exercise is hosted by the United States Navy biennially and is the world's largest international maritime exercise.
When it was last held in 2018, the exercise involved 45 ships, five submarines, about 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel from 25 countries.
RSS Supreme's participation in the Rimpac Exercise follows its involvement in a multinational group sail with five other warships from Australia, Brunei, Japan and the US from Aug 1 to 11 in the North Pacific Ocean.
The ships conducted a series of drills while transiting from Guam to Hawaii, with RSS Supreme leading a component of the sail, which included manoeuvring and communication exercises, underway replenishment and protection of a simulated high-value unit.
The group sail exercise was planned virtually, without any physical contact among navies.
In a statement on Wednesday (Aug 12), the Ministry of Defence said both exercises "are important avenues for the Republic of Singapore Navy to hone its competencies and strengthen interoperability and professional ties with other navies".
It added that RSS Supreme's crew were isolated and tested negative for Covid-19 prior to deployment.
