Starboard bow view of the US Navy (USN) Avenger Class Mine Countermeasures Ship USS DEFENDER (MCM-2) moored pier side near Merry Point at Naval Station Pearl Harbor. The DEFENDER is here to participate in the exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2004. RIMPAC is the largest international maritime exercise in the waters around the Hawaiian Islands. This years exercise includes seven participating nations: Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States. RIMPAC enhances the tactical proficiency of participating units in a wide array of combined operations at sea, while enhancing stability in the Pacific Rim region
