Honolulu Defense Forum 2027
The Honolulu Defense Forum is an annual gathering focused on defense and security issues in the Indo-Pacific region. Held in Honolulu, USA, the forum brings together leaders and experts to discuss strategic challenges and opportunities. Its primary objective is to foster dialogue and collaboration on regional security matters, emphasizing the complex geopolitical landscape of the Indo-Pacific.
Committees & topics
Topics
Operationalizing Solutions to Prevail in the Indo-Pacific · Delivering Combat Power Forward: Speed, Scale, and Sustainment · Coalition as a Capability: Executing Networked Deterrence · Industrial Power as Deterrence: Mobilizing Capacity · Decision Advantage: AI, Data, and the Information Domain · Economic Investment and Resilience in Action: Securing Supply Chains and Strategic Resources
Why it matters
The forum serves as a critical platform for understanding the evolving security dynamics in a strategically vital part of the world. Discussions often revolve around maritime security, emerging technologies, and the balance of power, directly influencing policy considerations and strategic planning for nations with significant interests in the region, including the USA. The event's location underscores the USA's enduring commitment to stability and security in the Indo-Pacific.
Given the increasing interconnectedness of global security, the outcomes and insights from the Honolulu Defense Forum resonate far beyond its immediate participants. It provides a barometer for assessing regional tensions and identifying potential areas for cooperation. For those tracking international relations and defense policy, the forum offers a valuable window into the strategic thinking that shapes the future of the Indo-Pacific.
How to prepare
To effectively engage with the themes of the Honolulu Defense Forum, participants should undertake a comprehensive review of current geopolitical trends in the Indo-Pacific. This includes understanding the strategic interests and military postures of major powers such as the USA. Familiarity with key regional security challenges, such as territorial disputes and cyber threats, is also essential.
Delegates can benefit from applying frameworks like the "Power-Interest Grid" to analyze the various actors involved in Indo-Pacific security. Understanding "Hidden Stakeholders" and their influence can provide a more nuanced perspective on policy discussions. Additionally, developing strong "Engagement Strategies" will be crucial for effective participation, whether in formal sessions or informal networking. A "Stakeholder Mapping Workshop" could be a valuable preparatory exercise to identify and understand the perspectives of different nations and organizations present at the forum. Considering "Dynamic Analysis" of ongoing conflicts and alliances will also enhance one's ability to contribute meaningfully to the discussions.
Country perspectives
Where the most-relevant 1 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.
Topics & background
The background behind each topic and the actors that shape it.
Operationalizing Solutions to Prevail in the Indo-Pacific
Key players
United StatesLead architect of integrated deterrence and primary external security guarantor in the region
ChinaPrincipal pacing challenger driving force posture changes across the theater
JapanAnchor northern ally modernizing counterstrike capabilities and command structures
AustraliaAUKUS partner providing southern strategic depth and submarine basing
PhilippinesFrontline state hosting expanded EDCA sites near Taiwan and the South China Sea
South KoreaNortheast Asian ally central to extended deterrence and trilateral cooperation
Delivering Combat Power Forward: Speed, Scale, and Sustainment
Key players
- United States
Primary force provider managing transoceanic sustainment and munitions ramp-up
- Japan
Host nation expanding pre-positioning, fuel, and maintenance infrastructure
- Australia
Southern logistics hub and partner in joint munitions co-production
- South Korea
Major munitions producer backfilling allied stockpiles and surge capacity
- Philippines
Forward archipelagic basing enabling distributed sustainment near contested waters
Coalition as a Capability: Executing Networked Deterrence
Key players
- United States
Hub-and-network orchestrator linking bilateral alliances into combined structures
- Japan
Central node in multiple minilaterals and host of expanded combined commands
- Australia
AUKUS principal and Squad participant integrating Anglo-Pacific defense ties
United KingdomAUKUS partner and tilt-to-Indo-Pacific power projecting carrier and submarine presence
- Philippines
Emerging trilateral and Squad partner anchoring South China Sea cooperation
- South Korea
Camp David trilateral participant linking Northeast Asian deterrence to broader networks
Industrial Power as Deterrence: Mobilizing Capacity
Key players
- United States
Largest defense industrial base undergoing wartime-style reindustrialization
- China
Benchmark competitor with dominant shipbuilding and integrated civil-military production
- Japan
Revising export rules and expanding co-production of missiles and platforms
- South Korea
Global exporter of artillery, armor, and naval platforms backfilling allied inventories
- Australia
Building sovereign guided weapons enterprise and AUKUS industrial integration
- United Kingdom
AUKUS submarine industrial partner expanding nuclear and munitions capacity
Decision Advantage: AI, Data, and the Information Domain
Key players
- United States
Lead developer of CJADC2 and military AI governance frameworks
- China
Principal competitor pursuing intelligentized warfare and civil-military AI fusion
RussiaPersistent actor in cyber operations and information warfare against Western states
- United Kingdom
AUKUS Pillar II partner on AI, autonomy, and electronic warfare
- Australia
AUKUS partner integrating advanced capabilities and sovereign cyber posture
IsraelBattlefield laboratory for AI-enabled targeting and ISR fusion at operational scale
Economic Investment and Resilience in Action: Securing Supply Chains and Strategic Resources
Key players
- United States
Anchor of friend-shoring, export controls, and Minerals Security Partnership
- China
Dominant processor of critical minerals and source of supply chain leverage
- Australia
Major upstream supplier of lithium, rare earths, and critical minerals to allies
- Japan
Pioneer of economic security legislation and semiconductor supply chain partner
- South Korea
Key node in semiconductor, battery, and shipbuilding resilience efforts
CanadaCritical minerals supplier integrating with U.S. industrial and defense base
Resources
News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for Honolulu Defense Forum 2027.
Recent reporting to ground your prep
Lessons
Bite-sized lessons to build the basics
Courses
Guided courses that go deeper on the topic
Related conferences
By committee
- Operationalizing Solutions to Prevail in the Indo-Pacific
- Delivering Combat Power Forward: Speed, Scale, and Sustainment
- Coalition as a Capability: Executing Networked Deterrence
- Industrial Power as Deterrence: Mobilizing Capacity
- Decision Advantage: AI, Data, and the Information Domain
- Economic Investment and Resilience in Action: Securing Supply Chains and Strategic Resources