Experts see rival military exercises as sign of increasing conflict risks in Indo-Pacific 

A Japan Maritime Self Defense Force landing craft air cushion prepares to land on Bellows Beach during a joint exercise between Japan and the Peruvian navy at the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) military exercises in Waimanalo, Hawaii, July 18, 2024. Japan Maritime Self Defense Force personnel unload supplies from a landing craft on Bellows Beach during a joint exercise between Japan and the Peruvian navy at the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) military exercises in Waimanalo, Hawaii, July 18, 2024. A Peruvian navy member rides in a light armored vehicle during a joint exercise between Japan and Peru at the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) military exercises at Bellows Beach in Waimanalo, Hawaii, July 18, 2024.

Experts see rival air and naval exercises this month across the Indo-Pacific region, involving Western-oriented allies on the one hand and Russia and China on the other, as evidence of mounting strategic competition and the risk of conflict in the region.