laststandonzombieisland

Besides the U.S. Navy’s recent 250th anniversary last October, two allied fleets are celebrating big milestones this year.

The French Navy is marking its 400th anniversary, dating officially back to an order by the Cardinal Richelieu, chief minister to King Louis XIII, establishing the first true French Royal Navy (la Marine Royale, later the Armée de Mer and today’s Marine Nationale) through the Edict of October 1626.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the globe, the Royal Australian Navy is marking its 125th anniversary in March, commemorating a July 1911 grant from King George V to rename Australia’s nascent Commonwealth Naval Forces.

Up to 20 visiting ships from all over the world are expected to pass through Sydney Heads and into the harbor on the morning of Saturday, 21 March 2026, for an International Fleet Review to ring in the 125th.

They will be led into Sydney by the RAN flagship, HMAS Canberra.

Plus, RIMPAC is 30 this year.

Where has the time gone?

The official logo of the Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2026. RIMPAC is a biennial exercise designed to foster and sustain cooperative relationships, critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. The exercise, which takes place in the waters surrounding the Hawaiian Islands, is a unique training platform designed to enhance interoperability and strategic maritime partnerships. (U.S. Navy graphic by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class L