Korean warship earns top prize in live-fire gunnery competition during Rimpac

The Rim of the Pacific (Rimpac) exercise is designed to enhance cooperation among participating countries in securing lines of communication and countering potential security challenges at sea.

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Sailors of the ROKS Daejeon pose with a plaque commemorating the ship's selection as the winner for live-fire gunnery excellence at the Rim of the Pacific 2026 exercise at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii on Aug. 1.

The Korean Navy’s 3,100-ton frigate Daejeon won the top honor at a live-fire gunnery competition during this year’s Rim of the Pacific (Rimpac) exercise, the service said on Sunday.

The ROKS Daejeon scored the highest among 13 warships from 10 countries that took part in the naval surface fire support rodeo competition in Hawaii last month, according to the Navy.

It marked the first time in 16 years that a Korean warship earned the top prize since the Navy’s King Sejong the Great destroyer won the competition in 2010.

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Launched in 1971, Rimpac is a biennial exercise designed to enhance cooperation among participating countries in securing sea lines of communication and countering potential security challenges at sea.

Korea served as the commander of the Combined Force Maritime Component during Rimpac conducted in and around the Hawaiian Islands, making it the first Asian country and the fourth non-U.S. participant to assume the commanding role.

The gunnery competition took place on July 12, but the results were announced during the exercise’s closing ceremony on Friday.


Yonhap

korea korean navy navy rimpac roks daejeon defense hawaii

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