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SAE Media Group has released the agenda for the inaugural Counter UAS Indo-Pacific conference, scheduled to take place in Honolulu, Hawaii, in October 2026.
The event will focus on counter-UAS challenges and capability development across the Indo-Pacific region, bringing together military leaders, government officials, technology experts and industry representatives from allied and partner nations. The launch of the agenda follows increasing regional attention on C-UAS capability development, with billions of dollars being allocated to INDOPACOM-related priorities.
Strategic and Regional Leadership Perspectives
The conference agenda features senior military and defense leadership from across the Indo-Pacific region, including:
• Lieutenant General Joel JB Vowell, Deputy Commanding General, US Army Pacific
• Major General Rommel Cordova, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans, J5 Armed Forces of the Philippines
• Dr Ju Hyung Kim, President, Security Management Institute, South Korean National Assembly
• Roy Chan Hsiung Wei, Deputy Chief Executive, Operations, Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA)
These sessions will address the proliferation of UAS threats across the Indo-Pacific and the need to strengthen protection of joint forces through improved interoperability, shared doctrine and coordinated regional approaches. Speakers will also highlight national and bilateral strategies, including US-Japan cooperation, alongside lessons from coalition environments and frontline threat response.
Operational Capability and Force Protection Focus
The agenda also highlights operational military perspectives from forces actively engaged in base security, survivability and expeditionary operations, including:
• Colonel Ryan Orders, Director Land Survivability, Land Capability Division, Australian Army
• Colonel Stephen E. DeTrinis, Commanding Officer, Marine Corps Base Hawaii
• Colonel Corydon Jerch, Chief, Operational Support Division Pacific Air Forces
• Colonel Gabriel L. Diana, Commanding Officer, 3d Marine Littoral Regiment, III MEF
These sessions will examine the integration of counter-UAS systems into operational environments, including airbase defence, expeditionary deployments and joint effects delivery. Discussion will focus on lessons from fielded capabilities, sensor fusion, rapid procurement challenges and the development of layered, deployable C-UAS solutions for contested environments.
Additional speakers announced by SAE Media Group include representatives from INDOPACOM, US Forces Japan, the Australian Army Headquarters, NATO, Multi-Domain Command Pacific, the Honolulu Police Department, the British Army, Atlantic Council’s Indo-Pacific Security Initiative, among many others.
The conference is thought to be the first counter-UAS event dedicated specifically to the Indo-Pacific operational environment, bringing together defence leaders, operators, and industry innovators from across the region.
The full conference brochure includes the agenda, speaker lineup and participation details for the October event in Honolulu. Download it here.
