The Importance of Industrial Endurance and Regional Sustainment in Maintaining Peace in the Indo-Pacific

HONOLULU — Senior military leaders, allies, partners and industry representatives gathered for the 2026 Land Forces Pacific Symposium and Exposition (LANPAC) at the Sheraton Waikiki, May 12, to discuss the future of security and deterrence in the Indo-Pacific.

As a keynote speaker, Xavier Brunson emphasized that maintaining peace in the region will require more than combat power alone. He highlighted industrial endurance, regional sustainment and allied integration as critical components of deterrence in the Indo-Pacific.

“Together, we demonstrate that strength paired with collective readiness is the ultimate guardian of peace,” Brunson said. “A true fortress for all our nations and interests here in the Indo-Pacific.”

Introduced by Ronald P. Clark, commanding general of United States Army Pacific, Brunson focused his remarks on the importance of building resilient sustainment networks capable of supporting operations across the vast Indo-Pacific theater.

“We often discuss strategy in abstracts, but we must be clear-eyed,” Brunson said. “Strategic concepts only survive as long as they are backed by industrial endurance.”

Brunson described sustainment as a central element of deterrence and emphasized the need for a regional industrial architecture that enables allies and partners to rapidly repair, maintain and generate combat power closer to the point of need.

“Sustainment is not the tail,” Brunson said. “It’s the teeth. It’s the teeth of our deterrence.”

He highlighted the “Fortress Chain” concept in the Republic of Korea as a model for regional sustainment and burden sharing across the Indo-Pacific.

“Today, I want to discuss how we are connecting these lines of effort through a regional industrial architecture, which we have termed in Korea a fortress chain,” Brunson said. “It’s where allies, partners and industrial efforts shape the collective security of all our nations throughout the Indo-Pacific.”

Brunson stressed that the Indo-Pacific’s vast distances require forward-positioned repair capabilities, advanced manufacturing and stronger military-industrial cooperation among allies.

“We must industrialize the edge,” Brunson said. “We cannot shuttle broken equipment across an ocean for repair while an adversary evolves on our doorstep.”

Throughout LANPAC 2026, leaders reinforced United States Army Pacific’s commitment to campaigning with allies and partners to strengthen readiness, increase interoperability and preserve peace through credible deterrence.
Brunson concluded by emphasizing that future success in the Indo-Pacific will depend on adaptability, innovation and collective readiness.

“In the modern era, deterrence is as much about the factory floor as it is the foxhole,” Brunson said.

LANPAC 2026 Symposium and Exposition, sponsored by the Association of the United States Army, is a premier forum for the Indo-Pacific land force leaders, industry experts, academics, and government agencies. This annual event fosters military cooperation, professional development, and the exchange of best practices. LANPAC promotes dialogue and understanding on shared challenges and facilitates integrated land operations within the United States Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility.