From 'cute navy' to RIMPAC command

Rear Adm. Kim In-ho, center, commander of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Fleet and Combined Force Maritime Component Commander for Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) 2026, discusses maritime operations with multinational staff officers at the Maritime Operations Center inside the Pacific Warfighting Center during the RIMPAC in Hawaii, Thursday. Courtesy of the ROK Navy

HONOLULU — Foreign navies once referred to the Korean Navy as the “cute navy.”

Rear Adm. Kim In-ho, commander of the Republic of Korea Fleet, recalled hearing the nickname from senior officers who participated in earlier Rim of the Pacific exercises (RIMPAC), when sending two frigates across the Pacific to Hawaii was considered an achievement.

Those days are long gone.

Today, Korea commands the maritime component of the world’s largest multinational naval exercise.

Kim, the first officer from an Asian country to lead the Combined Force Maritime Component Command (CFMCC), said the experience extends beyond this year’s exercise and will help strengthen the Korean military’s combined maritime capabilities as it prepares for the wartime transfer of operational control (OPCON).

“RIMPAC is designed to improve interoperability, protect sea lines of communication and strengthen multinational responses to maritime threats,” Kim told reporters during a media roundtable.

“In that sense, it also provides a valuable opportunity for our military to further strengthen its combined maritime operational capabilities as we prepare for the wartime OPCON transition.”

Earlier that day, Korean reporters were granted access to the CFMCC headquarters at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, the first time the command center has been opened to Korean media.

Inside, officers from 24 countries worked across 15 functional teams responsible for intelligence, current operations, logistics, legal affairs and other mission areas while directing eight multinational task forces participating in RIMPAC.

Officers wearing flag patches from Japan, Peru and other participating nations gathered in small groups between meetings, comparing notes and discussing operational issues before returning to their workstations.

A wall-sized common operational picture displayed ships and aircraft moving across the Pacific. By Thursday morning, the final four ships had departed Pearl Harbor and all 32 participating surface vessels were at sea.

This photo shows the Pacific Warfighting Center at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii, where the Combined Force Maritime Component Command directs maritime operations during RIMPAC 2026. Courtesy of the ROK Navy

Although more than 30 ships and submarines and about 140 aircraft are taking part in the exercise, the headquarters remains responsible for planning, coordinating and directing the operation.

Kim’s day started with a 7:30 a.m. command meeting. Throughout the day, he met repeatedly with staff chiefs and task force commanders.

Rather than remaining at his workstation in the center of the operations floor, he frequently walked to briefing stations where officers gathered to review updates and receive guidance.

“It means we have progressed from being a participating nation to one capable of commanding multinational forces,” Kim said.

Korea first attended RIMPAC as an observer in 1988 before becoming a full participant in 1990.

Since then, the Korean Navy has steadily taken on larger responsibilities, including Sea Combat commander, Expeditionary Strike Group commander and deputy commander of the CFMCC before assuming overall command of the maritime component this year.

Kim said the role was earned over decades, not handed over automatically.

“This responsibility isn’t handed over overnight,” he said. “Every role we’ve performed has been evaluated. Ultimately, this kind of mission is entrusted to a country that has earned that trust.”

He said he has also noticed a clear change in how partner navies view Korea.

“When I came to RIMPAC in 2018, I commanded a single task force at the tactical level,” he said, referring to his previous deployment as commanding officer of the Aegis destroyer ROKS Yulgok Yi I. “Now I oversee multiple task forces at the operational level. That alone shows how much confidence our partners have in the Korean Navy.”

He contrasted that with the Navy’s early years at RIMPAC.

“Back then, crossing the Pacific with two frigates was an accomplishment,” Kim said.

This year, however, Korea deployed some of its most capable assets, including the Aegis destroyer ROKS Jeongjo the Great, the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho submarine and a P-8A maritime patrol aircraft making its RIMPAC debut.

“When the exercise ends, we analyze what we’ve learned and apply those lessons to future operations,” Kim said. “That’s how our Navy gets better.”