JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii -- Multilateral airpower integration characterized conversations and forum discussions attended by senior military leaders across the Indo-Pacific, Europe, and North America during the 2026 Pacific Air Chiefs Symposium at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, May 12-15.
Dignitaries from more than 20 nations attended the event, which focused on cooperative air power, deterrence capabilities, and strengthening alliances and partnerships for a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The Pacific Air Chiefs Symposium has historically, and continues to be, a unifying event for nations focused on maintaining the security of the Indo-Pacific region.
U.S. Air Force Gen. Kevin B. Schneider, Pacific Air Forces commander, hosted the symposium and focused his fellow attendees on the goal during the air chiefs’ and senior enlisted leaders’ time together.
“This gathering is about building relationships, and it was intentionally set up for us to continue to expand not only our existing relationships, but to create new ones,” Schneider said. “The talks focus on integrated air power. We are all different, we all present different capabilities, but everyone here is an important part of that effort. We all bring the individual skill sets and capabilities to whatever problem presents itself.”
Multiple sessions were held that considered the region’s broad geographic scope, harnessing emergent technologies, integrating Air and Missile Defense, leveraging reserve assets, improving international humanitarian aid and disaster relief, enhancing multilateral leadership training with the Inter-Pacific Air Forces Academy, and more to strengthen connections and deepen operational integration. On the final day of the symposium, U.S. Navy Adm. Samuel J. Paparo, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, emphasized the importance of sustained cooperation and interoperability among allies and partners.
“Our alliances and our partnerships are our strategic center of gravity," Paparo said. "We all have an equal stake. We must all have an equal, commensurate contribution to our common defense within our alliances and partnerships."
Those contributions toward a common defense are atop priority for PACAF in fostering cooperation and deterrence efforts for allies and partners throughout the Indo-Pacific. While PACS 2026 concluded after four days of relationship-building engagements, the trust built through shared experiences, collaboration and time spent together will continue reinforcing those partnerships well beyond the symposium.