Panel explores why partnerships are key to prevailing

HONOLULU — Military leaders from the United States, Japan, Australia, and the Philippines used a May 14 panel at the 2026 Land Forces Pacific Symposium and Exposition to underscore how allied cooperation, shared training, and sustained presence are shaping deterrence and interoperability across the Indo-Pacific.

Moderated by Gen. Ronald Clark, commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific, the “Prevailing Through Partnerships” discussion featured Maj. Gen. Matthew Mowery, deputy commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific; Maj. Gen. Joseph Pasamonte, commander of the 7th Infantry (Kaugnay) Division of the Philippine Army; Gen. Masayoshi Arai, chief of army of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force; and Lt. Gen. Simon Stuart, chief of army of the Australian Army. The leaders centered their remarks on trust, persistent presence, and multinational cooperation as foundations for a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Panelists described how combined training, operational cooperation, and aligned strategic interests have strengthened the region’s land power network, turning shared resolve into practical capability. Stuart framed the current environment as a catalyst for coordination. “We have almost a perfect storm to create unity of effort through unity and purpose, founded in our shared interest to prevent a hot war in our region,” Stuart said. “We have made exceptional progress … and we’ve actually achieved a huge amount together.”

Arai pointed to Japan’s continued regional engagement. Through an interpreter, Arai said Japan must “continue to improve the qualities of the defense cooperation … and contribute to peace and stability” across the region.

Leaders also highlighted how artificial intelligence, cyber capabilities, and unmanned systems are changing how militaries train and operate. Pasamonte urged that modernization be balanced with historical insight. “While we’re trying to innovate moving forward … we must try to look back,” Pasamonte said. “We also look at our past and try to harness all those lessons that we learned.”

As nations integrate new technologies, Mowery emphasized that trust and interoperability remain central. “The Marine Corps is committed to being the first island chain force, and how we do that is through our partnerships,” Mowery said. “It’s through consistent relationship building … and building trust in those relationships.”

The discussion spotlighted multinational exercises such as Balikatan, Talisman Sabre, and Yama Sakura as increasingly integrated demonstrations of readiness and deterrence. Stuart said the region is moving “from collective will to demonstrating collective capability … and now into a recognizable campaign.”

Speakers repeatedly returned to trust as the bedrock of cooperation. Stuart called trust “purely a human endeavor” that “requires the investment of time,” while Mowery noted that long-term, side-by-side presence with allies strengthens relationships. Pasamonte described how trust is built in day-to-day interactions. “For you to gain trust … you need to sit down with them, eat with them, drink with them,” Pasamonte said. “I think that also applies to our soldiers.”

The panelists affirmed the central role of land forces in deterrence, sovereignty, and sustained operations across the theater. “At the end of the day, the greatest battle would be fought on land,” Pasamonte said. “When we’re called, we are there, and we will fight and win this fight.”

They characterized successful partnerships as those that preserve peace, ensure freedom of movement, and present a united front. “Ultimately, the continuing objective is a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Stuart said. “The demonstration of organized, synchronized collective capability … is having a pretty significant deterrent effect.”

The LANPAC 2026 gathering brought together military leaders, government officials, and defense industry representatives from across the region to examine land power cooperation, evolving security challenges, and future operational concepts.