January 4, 2008 (LPAC) - Russian naval units are expected to join about 3 dozen warships from 11 countries in the U.S. Navy's Rimpac exercise, this summer. Rimpac, which stands for "Rim of the Pacific," is a naval exercise held about every two years in the waters around Hawaii. Russia participated as an observer in 2006. U.S. military commanders in Hawaii spoke of the need for engagement to develop trust and prevent misunderstandings with Russia and other Pacific countries during a business conference in Honolulu, yesterday. Admiral Robert Willard, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet said Russia'a agreement to participate is "great progress if we believe that (military-to-military exchange) is one of the methods of finding common ground with these other navies," reported the Honolulu Advertiser.

The exact form of Russia's participation is not yet known, though a US Pacific Command spokesman told the Associated Press that Russia has been participating in planning meetings for the exercise, which is scheduled to take place in July 2008.