FORD ISLAND, Hawaii -- The Pacific and Indian Oceans Shipping Working Group (PACIOSWG) conducted Exercise Bell Buoy 2022 at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, June 27 to July 1, as a part of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022.

The purpose of Bell Buoy is to develop respective Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping (NCAGS) and maritime trade operations capabilities and foster the interchangeability of PACIOSWG member nations in the protection of seaborne trade.

Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet and U.S. Fleet Forces Command hosted the 11 member nations and more than 44 participants.

The command and control of the multi-national Shipping Coordination Center in Hawaii, and multi-location shipping control teams, spanned the globe from the United Kingdom to Brazil, with New Zealand and Singapore as outstations. Using established doctrine and published procedures, the exercise refreshed the practice of NCAGS skills in order to realize trade protection outcomes. The major themes for training involved harassment of shipping issues and piracy, and included a vessel visit and briefing on NCAGS at Honolulu Harbor.

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.