Exercise RIMPAC 2026 and P-8I Aircraft Participation

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Why in News

The Indian Navy's **P-8I** maritime patrol aircraft is participating in **Exercise RIMPAC 2026** in Hawaii.
This participation highlights India's expanding role in Indo-Pacific maritime security cooperation.

The **Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC)** is the world's largest international naval exercise, hosted by the U.S. Pacific Fleet since **1971**.
The exercise enhances interoperability, Maritime Domain Awareness, operational readiness, and joint coordination among member navies.
The **2026** event marks the **30th edition** of the exercise, organized under the theme **"Partners: Integrated and Prepared"**.
The current edition features **30** nations, over **30** surface ships, **5** submarines, and more than **200** aircraft, including forces from India, the US, Australia, Japan, France, the UK, South Korea, Singapore, and Indonesia.
Training modules focus on complex naval drills such as anti-submarine warfare, air defence, amphibious operations, missile firings, counter-piracy, mine countermeasures, and diving operations.
Participation allows the Indian Navy to improve joint operational capability with partner nations while strengthening sea-lane safety across the Indo-Pacific.

The **P-8I** is a long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine aircraft built on the Boeing **737-800** platform.
It carries out maritime surveillance, electronic warfare, strike operations, search and rescue, and provided reconnaissance support during the post-Galwan stand-off.
The aircraft operates with air-to-ship missiles and torpedoes, with the Indian Navy currently maintaining **12** units and planning to procure **6** more.