hdf 2026 Conference highlights

Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

HDF COnference day 1

12 JAN 2026

 

Kimberly Lehn, Senior Director, Honolulu Defense Forum, Pacific Forum
Welcome & Opening Remarks

Welcome & Opening Remarks

Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command
Keynote Address

Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command
Keynote Address

The Honorable Surangel Whipps Jr., President, Republic of Palau
CHAIR: Ralph Cossa, Chairman, Pacific Forum

Keynote Remarks

The Honorable Surangel Whipps Jr., President, Republic of Palau

Keynote Remarks

General Stephen Whiting, Commander, U.S. Space Command

Spotlight Discussion

General Stephen Whiting, Commander, U.S. Space Command
CHAIR: The Honorable Kari Bingen, Director of Aerospace Security Project, CSIS &
      former Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security

Spotlight Discussion

The Honorable George E. Glass, U.S. Ambassador to Japan

Introductory Remarks

Minister Shinjirō Koizumi, Minister of Defense of Japan

Keynote Address

HDF COnference day 2

13 JAN 2026

 

       General Romeo Brawner Jr., Chief of Staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines
       Admiral Samuel Paparo, USN, Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command
       General Hiroaki Uchikura, Chief of Staff, Joint Staff, Japan Self-Defense Forces

CHAIR: Major General (Ret.) Suzy Vares-Lum, Director,
Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies

Challenges & Opportunities in the Indo-Pacific

Challenges & Opportunities in the Indo-Pacific

The Honorable Mike Cadenazzi, Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial 
Base Policy, U.S. Department of War

Remarks

The Honorable Mike Cadenazzi, Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial 
Base Policy, U.S. Department of War

CHAIR: Dr. John Hemmings, Senior Advisor, Pacific Forum

Remarks

The Honorable Josh Green, M.D., Governor, State of Hawaii
The Honorable Michael DeSombre, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and
     Pacific Affairs and former U.S. Ambassador to Thailand, U.S. Department of
     State
The Honorable S. Paul Kapur, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central
     Asian Affairs, U.S. Department of State
The Honorable Harry Harris, Jr., former U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea
     and Admiral (Ret.), USN, 24th Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

CHAIR: Eric Sayers, Board Member, Pacific Forum

Fireside Chat

       The Honorable Josh Green, M.D., Governor, State of Hawaii
       The Honorable Michael DeSombre, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian               and Pacific Affairs and former U.S. Ambassador to Thailand,
             U.S. Department of State

 

Fireside Chat

Closing remarks

Ralph Cossa, Chairman, Pacific Forum

Closing Remarks and Final Reflections

Kimberly Lehn, Senior Director, Honolulu Defense Forum, Pacific Forum

Closing Remarks and Final Reflections

Beyond the Sessions

Selected address recordings