Indo-Pacific View
Dear Readers,
Welcome to the 50th anniversary edition of Indo-Pacific Defense FORUM.
For five decades, FORUM has chronicled the evolution of military, political and socioeconomic forces transforming the regional and global security environment. During this half-century, the United States, its Allies and Partners have expanded and strengthened their relationships under the shared belief that we are never stronger than we are when we are together.
This anniversary issue celebrates the dawn of an era of synergy not only among Allies and Partners but also between deterrence and assurance in the region. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) Commander Adm. Samuel Paparo’s motto — “Prevail!” — embraces these values and is the theme of this edition.
Paparo believes deterrence and assurance together prevent conflict and maintain stability. In this pursuit, USINDOPACOM integrates and employs credible, all-domain combat power to deter aggression, prevent and respond to crises and, if necessary, conduct decisive joint and combined operations to prevail in conflict.
Contemporary integrated deterrence strategies surpass conventional military might, according to Paparo. Such strategies embody everything from friendships and alliances to artificial intelligence-enabled technologies and cyber defense capabilities to economic sanctions and diplomatic pressure, coordinated across all sectors of government. Assurance, meanwhile, fosters trust and confidence that Allies and Partners will assist when catastrophe occurs or sovereignty is challenged or attacked.
Together, deterrence and assurance create a force greater than the sum of their parts, Paparo says. A robust deterrence posture reassures Allies and Partners by demonstrating the depth of commitment to resisting aggression. A powerful network of Allies and Partners strengthens deterrence by making the cost of an attack — militarily, economically and diplomatically — even higher for potential aggressors.
Since its founding in 1947, USINDOPACOM has maintained a regional presence, increasingly conducted joint military exercises, and enhanced capabilities and intelligence sharing, among other measures, to demonstrate an unwavering commitment to Allies and Partners. Regardless of the complexity of new and emerging challenges, USINDOPACOM, under Paparo’s leadership, will build on this strong foundation to increase security and prosperity in the region and ensure the U.S., its Allies and Partners continue to prevail.
We hope the past half-century has shown that FORUM aspires to cover the issues that matter to you. We look forward to continuing to share stories that foster conversation, cooperation, peace and stability.
We welcome your comments. Please contact the FORUM staff at ipdf@ipdefenseforum.com to share your thoughts.
All the best,
FORUM Staff