Senior defense officials from the United States and allied nations met in Honolulu in mid-January 2026 to discuss ways to transform strategy into operational readiness and strengthen regional partnerships. The Pacific Forum International hosted the three-day Honolulu Defense Forum, which included opening remarks by U.S. Navy Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
Organizers said the forum’s theme, “Operationalizing Indo-Pacific Readiness and Deterrence,” focused on integrating capabilities across domains and with partners to deter aggression and preserve stability. The event drew military leaders, government officials, industry representatives and academics to discuss logistics, command and control, and multidomain deterrence.
“Alliances and partnerships are our strategic center of gravity,” said Adm. Paparo. “When we operate with Allies and partners, we multiply capability. We raise the threshold for aggression.”
South Korea is a crucial partner in regional defense stratey, said U.S. Army Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, and U.S. Forces Korea. He noted that it hosts the only U.S. forces “assigned to the Asian continent inside the first island chain” and emphasized the “potential that exists from that position, by virtue of the strength of the Ally who we serve alongside every day.”
Leaders also discussed how to accelerate multidomain deterrence and improve command and control integration. Participants highlighted concrete outcomes such as deeper information sharing, expanded exercises and follow on working groups to pursue interoperability and logistics solutions. The underlying message was clear: partners are committed to a sustained security role in the Pacific and view the U.S. alliance network as a force multiplier for regional stability.
Japan’s defense minister, Shinjirō Koizumi, emphasized this unity of effort, delivering a keynote address that called on like-minded nations globally to link defense efforts and capabilities to meet rising challenges. “Yesterday, I witnessed the flags of 14 nations flying at a Japanese paratroopers’ exercise — including Belgium and Türkiye participating for the first time, alongside France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and the United Kingdom,” Koizumi said. “The vision of [a Free and Open Indo-Pacific] is no longer limited to the Indo-Pacific. The entire world hopes for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. This shared aspiration is the light that illuminates our path.”