USARPAC integrates allies and partners to strengthen deterrence, deliver decisive landpower

WASHINGTON — U.S. Army Pacific strengthens deterrence by positioning ready forces forward, training alongside allies and partners, and building the inte… WASHINGTON — U.S. Army Pacific strengthens deterrence by positioning ready forces forward, training alongside allies and partners, and building the interoperability needed to operate together before a crisis begins, Gen. Ronald P. Clark said during a panel at the Association of the United States Army’s 2026 Annual Meeting and Exposition Oct. 12. Speaking during the Contemporary Military Forum, “Decisive Landpower: Deterrence and Partner Integration Against the Pacing Threat,” Clark emphasized that the distances across the Pacific make forward posture and sustained partner engagement essential to delivering combat-ready forces when and where they are needed.

“Our responsibility to deliver warfighting capability at the place and time of our choosing is really tied to posture,” Clark said, “The only way that we've been successful in the business of deterrence is to provide those forces at scale.” Clark highlighted Operation Pathways, USARPAC’s exercise program, as a key way to strengthen readiness and relationships with regional allies and partners. He said the program includes 54 exercises over the course of a year, providing opportunities to train alongside partner forces on their own territory. Those exercises help build the readiness needed to deter conflict and, if necessary, fight and win, Clark said. He identified