A Chinese fleet with about 1,200 soldiers and officers have arrived at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. They will join this year’s Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) multinational naval exercises, which will last until August 4. This is the second time the Chinese Navy has taken part in the RIMPAC.

A total of 26 nations, 45 ships, five submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel will participate in the biennial RIMPAC exercises. This time, China’s fleet is composed of missile destroyer Xi’an, missile frigate Hengshui, supply ship Gaoyouhu, hospital ship Peace Ark, submarine rescue vessel Changdao, and three helicopters, as well as a marine squad and a diving squad.

They will take part in drills including gunfire, damage control and rescue, anti-piracy, search and rescue, diving and submarine rescue. The first time China participated in the RIMPAC was in 2014, with four military ships and about 1,100 soldiers on board.