Keywords: Flickr - Official U.S. Navy Imagery - USS Essex conducts amphibious operations..jpg PACIFIC OCEAN Aug 1 2012 Landing Craft Air Cushion LCAC 32 assigned to Assault Craft Unit ACU 5 prepares to enter the well deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Essex LHD 2 Twenty-two nations more than 40 ships and submarines more than 200 aircraft and 25 000 personnel are participating in the biennial RIMPAC exercise from June 29 to Aug 3 in and around the Hawaiian Islands The world's largest international maritime exercise RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans RIMPAC 2012 is the 23rd exercise in the series that began in 1971 U S Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Eric T Crosby/Released 120801-N-SS993-354 Join the conversation http //www facebook com/USNavy www facebook com/USNavy http //www twitter com/USNavy www twitter com/USNavy http //navylive dodlive mil navylive dodlive mil http //www flickr com/photos/usnavy/7698001200/ USS Essex conducts amphibious operations 2012-08-01 10 34 http //www flickr com/people/56594044 N06 Official Navy Page from United States of America MC2 Eric Crosby/U S Navy U S Navy photo PD-USGov-Military-Navy Official U S Navy Imagery http //flickr com/photos/56594044 N06/7698001200 2012-11-12 21 50 32 cc-by-2 0 Images from United States Navy to check |