HONOLULU— Leaders from across the Indo-Pacific gathered at the 2026 Land Forces Pacific (LANPAC) Symposium and Exposition on May 13 to discuss deterrence, interoperability, and collective security, where New Zealand Army Chief Maj. Gen. Rose King emphasized that trust, adaptability, and partnership remain the region’s decisive advantages.
Introduced by retired U.S. Army Brig. Gen. John “Jack” Haley, Vice President for Membership and Meetings at the Association of the United States Army, King outlined New Zealand’s modernization efforts as a small force operating across a vast and strategically important region.
King highlighted New Zealand’s focus on strengthening digital communications, interoperability, and network-enabled capabilities to better integrate with allies and partners.
“The ability to connect and share matters more now than it has done for decades, not as a courtesy, but as a necessity,” King said. “Through our collective unity, we deter our adversaries.”
Opening with a traditional Māori greeting, King emphasized that collective security in the Indo-Pacific depends on understanding the perspectives and challenges of partner nations. She noted that while all militaries face similar issues, smaller armies must adapt with fewer resources and less margin for error.
“I have found in this role that all armies face similar problems,” King said. “Large armies experience them at scale, and small armies experience them without margin.”
King described how New Zealand balances modernization with responsibility for the world’s fifth-largest exclusive economic zone, requiring innovation, prioritization, and close integration with trusted partners. She highlighted increased defense spending and alignment with Australia and the United States in areas including land lethality, maneuver, and digital connectivity.
Drawing lessons from Ukraine, King stressed the need for rapid adaptation and warned against delaying modernization in the hope of perfect solutions.
“The lesson from Ukraine is simple: waiting for perfect capability carries its own risk,” King said.
She also emphasized that deterrence relies as much on communication and relationships as advanced technology.
“If we cannot communicate across services, across nations, across classifications, and across cultures, then all the hardware in the world will not compensate,” she said.
Focusing on leadership and readiness, King referenced a Māori proverb central to New Zealand’s approach: “He tangata, He tangata, He tangata.”
“The most important thing in the world is its people.” She stressed the importance of adaptable leaders capable of operating with initiative and sound judgment in contested environments.
Throughout her keynote, King reinforced that trust and enduring partnerships cannot be built during a crisis but must be developed through sustained presence and cooperation.
“Prevention through presence is not passive,” King said. “It is active reassurance.”
She concluded by emphasizing that partnerships remain foundational to regional deterrence and stability.
“In the Pacific, partnership is the decisive terrain,” King said. “If we get that right, deterrence follows.”
During a question-and-answer session, King reiterated the importance of listening to regional partners and understanding that nations may perceive threats differently based on their own strategic realities.
Her remarks reinforced a central theme of LANPAC 2026: that maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific depends not only on advanced capabilities, but on trusted relationships, interoperable forces, and the collective commitment of allies and partners.
The LANPAC Symposium & Exposition is an annual forum that brings together Indo-Pacific military leaders, industry, academia, and government partners to strengthen cooperation, share best practices, and advance integrated land operations across the USINDOPACOM area of responsibility.