JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii –
Commander, Submarine Force U.S. Pacific Fleet hosted the 2024 Undersea Warfare Commanders’ Conference at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, April 9-13, 2024. First held in 2018, this year’s theme was “Leveraging technology to integrate partners and improve communications, lethality and interchangeability.”
Adm. Stephen Koehler, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet provided opening remarks, conveying the importance of coordination between allies and partners to improve integrated deterrence in the undersea domain.
Participants included undersea warfare commanders from the Royal Australian Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, French Navy, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Republic of Korea Navy, Republic of Singapore Navy, and Royal Navy.
“This conference series is continually evolving. This year, we expanded the scope of our discussions to include how we will integrate across domains and across the full spectrum of undersea warfare mission sets,” said Rear Adm. Rick Seif, commander, Submarine Force U.S. Pacific Fleet. “From the seabed to space, together we offer high-end options to expand our reach and maintain an asymmetric advantage across the Pacific theater.”
The multi-day event included briefings from each commander focused on force employment, combat readiness, and integration of emerging technology such as unmanned systems and artificial intelligence. A highlight of the conference was a table-top undersea warfare planning exercise based on lessons learned from recent operations and exercises in order to enhance interoperability, information sharing, and coordination between nations.
“We plan, train, and operate together in order to be an interchangeable undersea response force,” said Seif. “I am in awe of the professionalism and capabilities of our partners.”
Events such as these provide the opportunity for allied and partner nations to discuss emerging technologies and sustain the bonds of friendship and professionalism across the Pacific to help meet shared goals and interests.