English: A U.S. Navy Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 97 (VFA-97) "Warhawks" performs a touch-and-go maneuver on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) flight deck during Rim of the Pacific. Twenty-six nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel were participating in RIMPAC from 30 June to 4 August, in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The worlds largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2016 is the 25th exercise in the series that began in 1971.