The 48th annual Indo-Pacific Armies Management Seminar and the 10th annual Senior Enlisted in Fiji started with a traditional kava ceremony and featured the armies of Fiji and the United States. The conference is the largest for land forces in the region, co-hosted by the Fijian Army and United States Army Pacific, and attracted senior army leaders from 21 Indo-Pacific countries. The goal of the seminar is to provide a platform for leaders to exchange ideas, share best practices, and forge stronger partnerships.
The theme for this year’s conference is “Joint & Combined Operations in the Indo-Pacific Region.” U.S. Army Pacific commander Gen. Charles Flynn emphasized the importance of unity of action, involving synergistic applications of all partner forces. The conference included plenary sessions, breakout groups, guest speakers, and discussions on topics such as peacekeeping operations, humanitarian assistance/disaster relief, leadership development, and climate change. Both Fiji and the U.S. highlighted the improved capability and interoperability that conferences like this have helped to achieve.
The challenges discussed during the conference included cyber threats, transregional crime, human trafficking, illicit activities with fishing and narcotics, as well as the capabilities of major powers that could be threatening. Fiji and the U.S. have a long-standing partnership, as demonstrated by their participation in the joint exercise “Cartwheel,” named after a World War II military operation. The conference aims to promote security, peace, and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, with countries like Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam among those attending.
The SELF program, which was added in 2014, drew the largest number of senior enlisted leaders this year, with 16 participating. The conference concluded with Malaysia accepting the role as co-hosts of IPAMS, and the announcement of a larger bi-annual conference involving chiefs of regional armies. The Indo-Pacific Armies Management Seminar serves as a valuable platform for leaders to come together, exchange ideas, and strengthen partnerships in order to address common challenges and promote security and cooperation in the region.
