From July 22 to July 31, 2026, naval movements and exercises were reported in the Western Pacific. On July 22, the Nimitz‑class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN‑71) led a group sail off the coast of Hawaii during Exercise Rim of the Pacific 2026. The exercise involved more than 30,000 personnel from 30 nations, 31 surface ships, five submarines and more than 190 aircraft, conducting 500 maritime drills, 2,400 flight sorties and responding to over 5,000 scenario‑based problem sets, and concluded on Friday. On July 27, the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA‑7) and the dock landing ship USS Rushmore (LSD‑47) returned to their homeport in Sasebo, Japan, after a six‑month patrol in the 5th and 7th Fleet areas. The ships had previously off‑loaded elements of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in Okinawa. On July 30, the People’s Liberation Army Navy conducted naval and air combat readiness patrols around Scarborough Shoal, including the Type 054B frigate CNS Qinzhou (555), the frigate CNS Tongliao (554), and aircraft such as H‑6 bombers, J‑16 fighters, Y‑9 MPA and JL‑10 light combat aircraft. A JL‑10 aircraft was reported to have tracked a Philippine Air Force NC‑212i light transport. Also on July 30, PLAN frigate CNS Yancheng (546) and cruiser CNS Nanchang (101) were observed in the Miyako Strait, escorted by a JMSDF P‑1 maritime patrol aircraft and a JMSDF P‑3C Orion MPA. On July 29, a Russian‑Chinese joint surface action group arrived in Vladivostok, comprising the Russian corvette RFS Rezkiy (343), the Chinese cruiser CNS Anshan (103), the destroyer CNS Kaifeng (124) and the oiler CNS Kekexilihu (903). The group concluded a 160‑day deployment that began in early May, during which Rezkiy sailed more than 27,000 nautical miles. The patrol included shipboard helicopter landings, counter‑terrorism operations, humanitarian assistance and live‑fire drills, including machine‑gun fire in Japan’s exclusive economic zone on July 19. On July 25, the mine countermeasures ship USS Chief (MCM‑14) arrived in Niigata, Japan, for a scheduled port visit. On July 30, the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN‑73) and its strike group entered Da Nang, Vietnam, marking the first carrier strike group visit since 2023. The group includes the carrier, Carrier Air Wing 5, cruiser USS Robert Smalls (CG‑62) and destroyer USS Shoup (DDG‑86); the destroyer USS Benfold (DDG‑65) remains deployed in the South China Sea. On July 29, Russian submarine RFS Ufa (B‑588) and submarine rescue ship Igor Belousov completed a four‑day port visit to Cam Ranh, Vietnam. On July 29, the Virginia‑class attack submarine USS Minnesota (SSN‑783) returned to its homeport at Naval Base Guam, completing its inaugural forward‑deployed deployment. The submarine participated in the multinational exercise Valiant Shield 2026 and made port visits to Okinawa and Sasebo, Japan. On July 24, Malaysian Army soldiers boarded a U.S. Army UH‑60 Black Hawk helicopter during Exercise Keris Strike 26 near Kota Belud, Malaysia. The exercise involved the Malaysian Army, U.S. Army, Australian Army and other national guard units, and was supported by Black Hawk helicopters, HIMARS and Tiger attack helicopters. On July 29, the Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Perth (FFH157) docked in Port Klang, Malaysia, for a rest and replenishment stop before proceeding to Thailand. On July 28, the U.S. Navy‑led Pacific Partnership 2026 humanitarian and civic assistance mission completed its first stop in Sibolga, Indonesia, with HMAS Choules (L100) serving as the host ship. On July 27, U.S. Marines with Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 26, Australian Army soldiers and Armed Forces of the Philippines personnel conducted a live‑fire drill with an MK‑19 40 mm grenade launcher during Exercise Predator’s Run 26 in Townsville, Australia. Exercise Pitch Black 2026, running from July 20 to August 7, involved aircraft from the United States, Japan, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, South Korea, India, Singapore, Germany, France, Spain and several other nations, with up to 100 jet aircraft and more than 2,500 personnel operating from bases in the Northern Territory and Queensland.