Pacific Forum Unites Over 600 Global Leaders, Military Commanders, and Industry Leaders to Operationalize Regional Readiness and Deterrence.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Honolulu Defense Forum 2026
HONOLULU, HI — Pacific Forum International has successfully concluded the Honolulu Defense Forum (HDF) 2026, its premier annual conference dedicated to closing critical defense and security gaps in the Indo-Pacific. This year’s forum, themed "Operationalizing Indo-Pacific Readiness and Deterrence," brought together more than 600 senior government, military, and industry leaders to move beyond strategic concepts and toward concrete capabilities.
HDF 2026 leveraged Hawaii’s strategic location to focus on restoring lethality and strengthening deterrence through improved force posture, revitalized industrial capacity, and deepened alliances. The mission has taken on a new urgency as the United States and its partners face mounting operational challenges across the theater.
A Global Coalition for Regional Stability
The 2026 forum demonstrated a powerful show of unity, featuring International Attendance from 24 nations and territories. Allies and partners represented included:
- Indo-Pacific: Australia, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, New Zealand, Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
- Global: Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Netherlands, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Denmark, Slovakia, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Strategic Highlights & Keynote Summary:
- Superiority of Decision: Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, emphasized that deterrence now relies on AI-driven data processing and "Superiority of Decision" to outpace adversaries.
- Integrated Deterrence: Minister of Defense Shinjirō Koizumi (Japan) and Ambassador George E. Glass highlighted the "new golden era" of the U.S.-Japan alliance, focusing on record defense spending and the vision to "Make the Alliance Great Always" (MAGA).
- Space & Multidomain Threats: General Stephen Whiting (U.S. Space Command) addressed the necessity of securing the space domain to harden critical systems against evolving multi-domain threats.
- Industrial Base Revitalization: Hon. Mike Cadenazzi, Assistant Secretary of War, detailed the shift toward "just-in-case" supply chains and the co-production of defense systems with regional allies.
- The Economic Security Link: President Surangel Whipps Jr. of Palau provided a vital perspective on the intersection of economic resilience and regional stability.
"The Honolulu Defense Forum is where strategy meets execution—turning shared concerns about the Indo-Pacific into real operational solutions among allies, industry, and the joint force," said Kimberly Lehn, Senior Director of the Honolulu Defense Forum.
"Deterrence today has to operate across every domain—land, sea, air, cyber, and space—because adversaries are doing the same. Integrating AI across those domains is essential, and it requires national security and technology leaders working together," Lehn added. "The window to act is now. Investors need to see that national security investments aren’t just strategic necessities—they’re durable opportunities to strengthen the industrial base, reinforce forward presence, and integrate allies in ways that deliver real returns."
About Pacific Forum:
Pacific Forum International is a non-profit, non-partisan foreign policy research institute based in Honolulu, Hawaii. It serves as a primary platform for results-oriented solutions that accelerate joint capability development and ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific.
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Media Contact:
Shanna Khayat
Director of Communications & Media, Pacific Forum
shanna@pacforum.org
Note to Editors: Kimberly Lehn is available for follow-up interviews regarding the outcomes of HDF 2026 and Pacific Forum’s ongoing strategic initiatives. Full session recordings are available on the Pacific Forum YouTube Channel.