ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command to host 2026 Combined Warfighting Forum

The Republic of Korea–U.S. Combined Forces Command convened the 2026 ROK-U.S. Combined Warfighting Forum on Sept. 16 at the Defense Convention Center in Yongsan, Seoul, drawing approximately 200 senior military leaders and experts to examine combined warfighting approaches and capability development for the Korean Peninsula.

The event centered on Combined Joint All-Domain Operations, CFC’s theater-level operational concept for integrating capabilities across the land, maritime, air, space, cyberspace and electromagnetic spectrum domains. U.S. Army Gen. Xavier T. Brunson, commander of CFC, delivered the keynote address, and CFC Deputy Commander Gen. Kim Sung-min offered opening remarks emphasizing the development of a common combined, joint and all-domain mindset and interconnected communications.

Attendees included Gen. Jin Yong-sung, chairman of the Republic of Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff; former CFC commanders and deputy commanders; senior leaders from the combined component commands; and military experts from industry, academia and research institutions. The CJADO framework expands traditional land, maritime and air approaches by incorporating space, cyberspace and the electromagnetic spectrum, integrating operations and capabilities through advanced command-and-control systems to address an evolving security environment and changing character of warfare.

Retired ROK Army Lt. Gen. Chun In-bum moderated the first session, “CJADO Concept and Capability Development,” which examined the U.S. military’s Joint All-Domain Operations concept and its application in the combined ROK-U.S. setting. U.S. Army Lt. Col. Casey L. Miller of U.S. Army Futures Command presented an overview of JADO and discussed considerations for developing CJADO as an extension of JADO in a combined operating environment. Participants explored how CJADO should evolve to meet the unique operational conditions of the Korean Peninsula and highlighted key enablers including command and control, information and data sharing, and artificial intelligence. Panelists included U.S. Army Maj. Gen. William A. Ryan; Col. Matthew Skaggs; ROK Army Maj. Gen. Choi Chang-soo; Professor Han Sang-geun; and Kim Jung-soo.

U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Joseph E. Hilbert, CFC chief of staff, moderated the second session, “Challenges and Solutions for Implementing CJADO,” which focused on implementation hurdles and the evolving role of commanders in an all-domain environment. Ahn Byung-oh of the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses presented on the topic, followed by a panel featuring retired U.S. Army Gens. Robert B. Abrams and Paul J. LaCamera and retired ROK Army Gen. Ahn Byung-suk, who shared perspectives on integrating large volumes of information and diverse warfighting capabilities across multiple domains.

Insights from the forum will inform CFC’s continued development of the CJADO concept and the combined capabilities needed to apply it on the peninsula. CFC plans to further strengthen combined warfighting capabilities and interoperability to maintain a strong defense posture and safeguard peace and stability, reinforcing alliance cohesion and the combined force’s ability to respond to an evolving security environment.