Landpower Indispensable in the Indo-Pacific

Rising competition across the Indo-Pacific reinforces a simple truth that land power is indispensable in a region defined by sovereign territory, critic… Rising competition across the Indo-Pacific reinforces a simple truth that land power is indispensable in a region defined by sovereign territory, critical access, and the infrastructure that enables joint operations. Land forces create the foundation the Joint Force relies on by securing key terrain, opening and protecting logistics hubs, safeguarding essential nodes, and ensuring the access needed for air and maritime forces to project power, maneuver, and sustain operations across the theater. Freedom of action in this complex environment depends on land forces that can sustain joint formations, deliver integrated air and missile defense, and maintain decision superiority across the First and Second Island Chains.

Forward, combat credible land forces shape regional decision making every day. With more than 80 percent of defense chiefs in the Indo-Pacific coming from land forces, trusted relationships remain essential. Shared training, persistent presence, and more than fifty annual bilateral and multilateral exercises build the human, procedural, and technical integration required for combined deterrence in the region. Exercises such as Talisman Sabre, Yama Sakura, Orient Shield, and Balikatan demonstrate this integration by rehearsing complex operations on essential terrain throughout the theater. During the 2026 Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting, U.S.