KEKAHA, Kaua'i — An amphibious landing exercise at the Pacific Missile Range Facility yesterday was less of a show than a crowd of about 50 Kaua'i residents on the beach were expecting.

Large, air-cushioned amphibious craft could not be deployed as part of the Rim of the Pacific war games due to damage to the doors that let amphibious vehicles leave the stern of the Australian ship HMAS Tobruk.

Instead, two smaller amphibious assault vehicles — designed to hold 24 Marines but containing a crew of only four each — came ashore at Major's Bay Beach, where the local crowd was waiting under a striped tent.

Despite the change in plans, the exercise is still important training, said Adm. Sam Locklear, who is overseeing U.S. forces in the the multination war games that continue around the Islands through the end of July.

With 10 nations, 35 ships, 150 aircraft, six submarines and 20,000 people involved this year, RIMPAC is "the largest multinational exercise in the world anywhere," Locklear said.

The exercises have been held every other year since 1972, Locklear said, and allow Pacific allies to train together and get to know one another.

"We need each other, like-minded countries, and to operate together seamlessly," Locklear said at the missile range's Major's Bay Beach, the site of yesterday's exercise.

"We may speak vastly different languages, eat different food, have different social perspectives and ways of looking at the world," Locklear said.

The different countries' militaries practicing together "builds trust, partnerships and lasting security," Locklear said.

Part of yesterday's exercises was to include "cross-decking" crew members from the Australian ship — which includes Australian and Indonesian personnel — to the USS Bonhomme Richard for a day. The groups were to trade places via helicopter and boat.

Locklear called the Pacific Missile Range Facility here, which includes use of a 2-million-square-mile area of the ocean north of Kaua'i, "one of the most impressive range facilities in the world." As he spoke from shore, several large military vessels could be seen offshore, and helicopters buzzed overhead.

In addition to building international cooperation, the RIMPAC exercises also allow sailors and others to hone skills they may not use regularly, said Capt. Rod Clark, commodore of three ships, including the Bonhomme Richard.

"We want to make sure that guys are not asked to do something that they haven't done in a couple of years," Clark said.

The cost of RIMPAC to the United States is included in annual military training budgets, Locklear said. Between military personnel spending ashore and contracts associated with the exercise, it has an economic impact of about $43 million on the state of Hawai'i, he said.

Philip Boley, of Glendale, Ariz., came to yesterday's event with his aunt, Janet Logan, of Lihu'e.

Boley said while he was impressed with the amphibious vehicles, "I was most impressed hearing how the countries work together to improve safety in the world today."

Reach Diana Leone at dleone @honoluluadvertiser.com or 808-245-3074.