DKI APCSS

This week, Brigadier General Gabriel Soubrier, Commander, French Forces New Caledonia (FANC) - and DKI APCSS alumni - visited the Center and met with Deputy Director Russell Bailey, Prof. Al Oehlers, and Center staff.  BG Soubrier offered his perspectives on regional security dynamics, highlighted FANC priorities, and noted the congruity between U.S. and French priorities in the Indo-Pacific. BG Soubrier and Dep. Director Bailey identified areas of mutual interest, and highlighted opportunities for potential collaboration to foster solutions to regional security challenges. #FANC #Security #Oceania #AlliesAndPartners #BuildingPeaceThroughStrength

Senior military leaders and defense experts gathered during the Land Forces Pacific (LANPAC) Symposium and Exposition panel discussion, “Education, Training and Experience: Optimizing People and Performance,” to discuss how the Army and its allies are preparing leaders and formations for increasingly complex operational environments across the Indo-Pacific region. DKI APCSS Director Suzanne Vares-Lum participated in a panel on "Educating, Training & Experiencing: Optimizing People and Performance.” The panel was moderated by retired Lt. Gen. John D. Johnson, Vice President of Government Solutions and Strategy at General Motors Defense. Other panelists were Maj. Gen. Hope Rampy, commanding general of the U.S. Army Human Resources Command, Maj. Gen. Michelle Link, commanding general of the 75th U.S. Army Reserve Innovation Command, and Lt. Gen. Shigeo Kaida of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Training, Evaluation, Education, Research and Development Command in attendance. Leaders emphasized the importance of leader development, innovation, multinational collaboration, and adaptive training to maintain readiness and deterrence throughout the region. More at army.mil/article/292409… #LANPAC2026

We always have exciting news about our alumni... so why not share it! This week we're putting the spotlight on Maj. Gen. Erdenebat Batsuuri of the Mongolian Army and graduate of DKI APCSS' ASC11-1. #Mongolia #UNPeaceKeeping

This week, DKI APCSS Director Suzanne Vares-Lum participated in a panel on "“International Partnerships: From Cooperation to Seamless Integration” at the Security and Defence + Indo-Pacific Security Forum 2026. Also, on the panel, moderated by ASU Professor Ryan Shaw, were USINDOPACOM Deputy J5 Commodore Jonathan Lette (Royal Navy), Australian Consul-General in Honolulu Greg Wilcock, and U.S. Department of State AUKUS Liaison Adam Korzeniewski. #EducateConnectEmpower #FriendsAlliesPartners #BulidingCooperation (photo courtesy of @SecDefencePlus )

DKI @APCSS Director Suzy Vares-Lum recently met with the @npsmonterey leadership and faculty to explore areas of collaboration as we all work toward #educatingconnectingandempowering security practitioners. We look forward to future joint initiatives and further engagements and exchanges. Many thanks to President Ann Rondeau for her leadership and support, and to NPS Professor Gary “Grinch” Thomason for coordinating the visit with such an impressive NPS team on the ground in Monterey, CA. #SecurityCooperation #IndoPacific #Partnerships #Leadership

Today, DKI APCSS hosted the Commander of the Sri Lankan Air Force, Air Marshal Vasu Bandu Edirisinghe, who was accompanied by Honorary Consul General Asoka Silva. Air Marshal Edirisinghe was greeted by Director Suzy Vares-Lum and held in-depth discussions with Dean of Admissions and Business Operations, Wade Turvold, Captain (Ret.), U.S. Navy. While learning more about the various DKI APCSS programs, as well as potential Fellow Projects, cohorts, and other collaboration, the discussions expanded into the current regional challenges throughout the Indo-Pacific important to the both the United States and Sri Lanka. #SriLanka #Security #FellowProjects #AlliesAndPartners #BuildingPeaceThroughStrength @airforcelk

Aloha Fellows! From Marshall Islands to Malaysia! From Tonga to Thailand! This week DKI APCSS welcomed 142 participants from around the globe to our Comprehensive Security Course, CSC 26-2. This five-week, in-residence executive program for mid-level military, government, and non-government professionals in the security sphere, works toward developing resilient solutions to pressing security challenges in the Indo-Pacific.

A group from DKI APCSS, led by the Director, MG (Ret) Suzy Vares-Lum, visited the Department of Commerce on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, and met with the Deputy Secretary, the Honorable Paul M. Dabbar in Washington DC. The meeting was productive and the participants addressed multiple topics. @

We were honored to welcome a cohort of over 19 attachés from the OPNAV N2N6 Navy Attaché Affairs Program to the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies on April 30, 2026. Participants compared defense spending trends and trajectories between Europe and the INDOPACOM region, highlighting how these resource allocations impact long-term readiness, deterrence, and collective security. Conversations also expanded into global defense economics. Empowering Navy Attachés with comprehensive regional insights is essential for maintaining strong, informed diplomatic and military partnerships across the globe. #USNavy #NavyAttache #DKIAPCSS #IndoPacificSecurity #GlobalSecurity #OPNAV #NavalDiplomacy #Partnerships

It was a privilege to host 20 National Defense University CAPSTONE 26-3 Fellows, led by retired U.S. Navy Admiral and former US Ambassador Harry Harris, at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies on April 28, 2026. The visit featured high-level strategic discussions focused on the most pressing security challenges in the Indo-Pacific. The robust Q&A sessions tackled complex regional dynamics and how to constructively build interoperability in low-trust environments. #NDU #CAPSTONE #DKIAPCSS #IndoPacificSecurity #StrategicLeadership #NationalSecurity #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific @ndu_edu

For the next five years, DKI APCSS is focused on strengthening regional deterrence and advancing cooperative security. Our mission is to #Educate, #Connect, and #Empower security practitioners to foster solutions for complex challenges and promote a #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific. As our Director, Maj. Gen. (ret) Suzanne P. Vares-Lum, states, "The Center will strive to become a premier intellectual platform that is recognized for delivering concrete outcomes." Go to dkiapcss.edu/about-us/ to explore the full strategy. #DKIAPCSS #NewStrategy #IndoPacific #Security #Honolulu #Leadership #GlobalSecurity #PeaceThroughStrength

Join us for a discussion on how #drones are redefining the #battlefield, and #AI is accelerating the speed and scale of modern warfare with Kateryna Bondar on Tuesday, May 19th at 3pm (HST). Register to watch live at dkiapcss.edu/56

Vice Admiral Dr. Thomas Daum, Chief, Cyber and Information Domain Service, and his staff from the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr), visited DKI APCSS to learn about the Center, and engage in an informal roundtable discussion centered around the cyber and information domains. German participation with the Center has grown significantly in the past several years, and this engagement gave VADM Daum and team in-depth exposure to DKI APCSS and the practical benefits that the relationship brings for regional and global security. It also presented an opportunity for our faculty to learn from, and exchange views with VADM Daum on critical domains of consequence. #AlliesAndPartners #CyberSecurity #PeaceThroughStrength @bundeswehr.de @INDOPACOM

Last week, Director Suzy Vares-Lum and a team of faculty and staff from DKI APCSS met with Major General Giles J.S. Cornelia, Deputy Commanding General - Strategy and Plans for the U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC), at the Center in Ft. DeRussy, Hawaii. MG Cornelia a graduate of the most recent Transnational Security Course (TSC 25-2), returned to the Center to discuss his upcoming engagements in South Asia and Mongolia. The dialogue focused on regional security dynamics and the prevailing security situation. #Security #USARPAC #AustralianDefenceForce #ADF #AlliesAndPartners @USARPAC @DefenceAust

A team from DKI APCSS joined an alumni workshop at the Philippines Public Safety College. Designed to re-create a day at the center, a panel of alumni discussed the current state of regional security from defense, political, and economic perspectives. youtu.be/RCiUbu7kdB4

The latest edition of the Indo-Pacific Vantage Point is here! Discover how the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (DKI APCSS) is continuing to educate, connect, and empower security practitioners across the region. In the April 2026 issue: 🗺️ New Five-Year Strategy: Charting our vision and strategic direction for the future. 🏆 Alumni of the Year Awards: Honoring the incredible achievements and real-world impact of our outstanding global alumni network. 📚 Course Updates: Highlights from our latest courses, including the Mobile IPOC 26-2 in Washington, D.C. 💡 Strategic Voices: New Security Nexus publications and expert insights on complex regional security challenges. 📖 Read the full April 2026 newsletter here: 🔗 content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDKI… #DKIAPCSS #IndoPacific #SecurityCooperation #AlumniOfTheYear #Defense #NationalSecurity #VantagePoint #GlobalSecurity

The distance between a strategy document and a security outcome is not measured in words, but in trust, alignment, and execution.” How do we translate strategic vision into tangible security outcomes? In the latest episode of Dialogue, DKI APCSS Director Suzy Vares-Lum (@LumVares) joins Dr. James Minnich (@colonelminnich) to discuss "Building Advantage in the Indo-Pacific." Watch the full discussion on the critical elements of regional security and cooperation here: youtu.be/BAToGlBTMwA #BuildingCooperation #FriendsAlliesPartners #Strategy #BurdenSharing #IndoPacific

#JIATFWest hosted Professor Dr. Miemie Winn Byrd and her intern, Ms. Savannah Cantor from @APCSS. They gave the Task Force an excellent, timely presentation on Scam Center Threats in #SoutheastAsia targeting American Citizens. We are grateful for the continued partnership.

DKI APCSS Director Vares-Lum presented at Pacific Endeavor 2026, highlighting collaboration opportunities for partner nations in the Indo-Pacific, with a particular focus on the Cyber and Space domains. Led by @INDOPACOM, Pacific Endeavor 2026 seeks to strengthen C4/Cyber capabilities to build a secure, interoperable, and resilient communications architecture across the region. #PacificEndeavor2026 #IndoPacific #CyberSecurity #SpaceSecurity

This month, we were honored at DKI APCSS to welcome 20 stars to our Center! There is nothing quite like the combined years of experience of these distinguished U.S. and Japanese admirals and general to provide invaluable insights on the region’s pressing issues. Pictured L-R: Suzanne Vares-Lum, Director, DKI APCSS; Admiral John C. Aquilino, USN (Ret.), Former Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command; General Koji Yamazaki, JGSDF (Ret.), Former Chief of Staff, Joint Staff, Japan Self-Defense Forces; Admiral Philip S. Davidson, USN (Ret.), Former Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command; Admiral Katsutoshi Kawano, JMSDF (Ret.), Former Chief of Staff, Joint Staff, Japan Self-Defense Forces; Admiral Harry B. Harris Jr., USN (Ret.), Former Commander, U.S. Pacific Command; and Dr. Satohiro Akimoto, Chairman and President, Sasakawa USA. #DKIAPCSS #IndoPacific #USJapanAlliance #Leadership #NationalSecurity