KONA, Hawaii– U.S. Indo-Pacific Command concluded the 26th annual Indo-Pacific Chiefs of Defense (CHODs) in Kona, Hawaii on Sept. 20, 2024.
The conference was hosted by Adm. Samuel J. Paparo, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, and brought together representatives and senior-most military leaders from countries in Asia, the Pacific Islands, Europe, North America, and South America. They discussed regional security trends and identified areas for future cooperation.
Twenty-eight countries and multinational organizations were represented at the three-day conference titled "The Future Indo-Pacific: Building a Resilient and Interconnected Region." Plenary sessions were led by a wide mix of practitioners and think tank experts, demonstrating the importance of diverse voices and perspectives for addressing the challenges and opportunities in the region. Sessions included lectures, panels and discussions on the following topics: safeguarding the international system; regional capacity building; emerging technology threats and opportunities; the evolving cybersecurity landscape; and the future Indo-Pacific.
Concurrently, USINDOPACOM's Command Senior Enlisted Leader Fleet Master Chief David Isom led the senior enlisted leaders program, which fostered conversations about the impact and role of the enlisted force and the collective capacity of noncommissioned officers toward organizational effectiveness and mission success. Discussions focused on expanding opportunities for collaboration, increasing interoperability, and how to enable the commander’s intent while empowering agency, accountability and leadership at every level.
NATO's most senior military officer, Chair of the Military Committee of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Royal Netherlands Navy Adm. Rob Bauer, also attended the conference, deepening cooperation between NATO and its Indo-Pacific partners following July's NATO Summit in Washington, D.C. The high-level engagement and ongoing dialogue helps build situational awareness of security developments in the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions, and broaden perspectives on common global security challenges, such as maritime domain security, cyber defense, and the security impacts of climate change.
During the conference, Paparo hosted and participated in bilateral and multilateral meetings to reinforce existing relationships, address security concerns and understanding of regional challenges, and underscore unified commitment to protecting shared interests across the Indo-Pacific. Paparo met with senior military leaders from: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Fiji, India, Japan, Maldives, Mexico, Mongolia, NATO, New Zealand, Peru, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste, Tonga, United Kingdom, and Vietnam.
Paparo also met with Gen. Wu Yanan, the commander of the People’s Liberation Army’s Southern Theater Command, where he underscored the importance of sustained lines of communication between the U.S. military and the PLA to reduce the risk of misperception or miscalculation. The meeting follows a video-teleconference call between Paparo and Wu earlier this month, and advances the commitment made during the bilateral meeting between President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China held in November 2023 to resume high-level military-to-military communication.
The CHODs conference contributes to a free and open Indo-Pacific by building on and strengthening relationships to enhance mutual understanding, cooperation, and a consistent operational framework while underscoring international commitment to protecting shared interests across the region.