WAIMANALO — Armed soldiers in full camouflage gear yesterday leaped out of a helicopter to secure a beach ahead of an air-cushioned landing craft that hovered above the ocean 12 miles offshore during the 21st Rim of the Pacific exercise.

The exercise at Marine Corps Training Area-Bellows brought together military personnel representing 10 nations: Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, Netherlands, Peru, South Korea, Singapore, Britain and the United States.

The Marines called yesterday's drill a NEO, or noncombatant evacuation operation, which trains military personnel how to evacuate from an embassy in hostile territory.

The landing was one part of a nearly month-long Rimpac exercise that began June 29. Much of the exercise has been centered on or near 25 surface ships, six submarines and 150 aircraft. More than 20,000 sailors, airmen, Marines, soldiers and Coast Guard members are taking part in Rimpac.

"If anything happens in the world today, it's not just one nation that responds," said Cpl. Jeremiah Goff, whose job was being beachmaster for yesterday's training session. He was in charge of landing the air-cushioned landing craft. "It's important to see the tactical maneuvers of other countries. It's just good to create friendships and partnerships."

Rimpac, held every two years since 1971, is geared to support maritime strategy by building trust among nations. The exercises are split into three phases: a harbor phase, an operational phase and a tactical phase.

Yesterday, as F-18s soared overhead and a trio of Marine 53 helicopters thumped in the air, the giant air-cushioned landing craft cranked up its four turbine engines and raised itself up. Kicking up sand and water, the craft headed toward a ship as a second landing craft neared the beach to unload its personnel and armored ambush protection vehicles.

The amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard took part in the drill.

Canadian Army Cpl. Jeremy Banfield, along with 140 infantry troops from Canada, are participating in Rimpac. Many were at Bellows yesterday, armed with M16 rifles to secure a beach area.

"We learned the different jobs," Banfield said. "This exercise gives us amphibious ops experience. The Canadians are thinking of adding amphibian ops, and this ties right in."

The exercise attracted onlookers and journalists from participating countries. Among those watching the shoreline assault was Air Force Maj. Anthony Hart, who had bicycled to the scene from nearby military cabins where he was staying with his wife. Hart, who had just completed a six-month deployment in Afghanistan, was watching the Rimpac landing with interest.

"It looks like they have their act together," Hart said. "It's important to have training like this with different countries. It's the wave of the future to have more of a coalition perspective. We have to have the help from our NATO allies."