PACAF Deputy Commander says Generational Allies Forge Interoperability at Avalon Published March 25, 2025 By Capt. Alyssa Letts Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs MELBOURNE, Australia -- Standing before a global gathering of airpower leaders at the 2025 Avalon International Airshow Symposium, Lt. Gen. Laura Lenderman, Pacific Air Forces Deputy Commander, reflected on this significant opportunity for air chiefs and senior leaders from over 30 nations to come together, strengthen the ties that bind them, and reinforce a shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. The event opened with Royal Australian Air Force Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Stephen Chappell, reminding attendees of the region’s painful past. He reflected on the 1942 bombing of Darwin as a lesson in why allies must come together not just to remember history, but to shape the future. “If we can’t remember the past, we are condemned to repeat it,” Chappell said. Lenderman expanded on that idea, emphasizing that Avalon was more than an airshow, but also an important venue to deepen trust and strengthen relationships at a moment of historic consequence. “This gathering is about our collective strength,” she said. “Our relationships are our superpower—something our adversaries can only dream of having.” For Lenderman, that connection is deeply personal. Her grandfather fought on Biak Island in World War II; a hard-fought battle in the Pacific that forged bonds still felt today. It’s that shared history, Lenderman said, that makes gatherings like Avalon not just ceremonial, but essential. “Our generation inherits those relationships,” she said. “We’re here because they showed us what enduring partnerships look like—built over time, tested in combat, and strengthened in peace.” She added that this foundation gives the Indo-Pacific’s allies a unique advantage that no adversary can replicate. “Others may try to buy influence or force alliances, but what we have is earned—earned through generations of standing together,” Lenderman said. “That’s the difference, and that’s our strength.” Lenderman pointed to combined exercises like Pitch Black, Cope North, and the upcoming Resolute Force Pacific (REFORPAC) as proof that these partnerships aren’t just diplomatic but that they are operational demonstrating how allies and partners are training together to continually sharpen readiness. “This is more than paper agreements,” she said. “We’re flying together, operating seamlessly, and sending a clear message: unity defines this region, not division.” Still, she cautioned that while relationships and combined operations are the region’s greatest strength, they must now serve as the foundation for action. “We face an emerging axis of revisionist powers determined to change the rules in this region and the world,” Lenderman said. “Our answer must be unity, backed by the technology and capabilities to deter conflict together.” Citing U.S. Indo-Pacific Commander, Admiral Samuel Paparo, Lenderman laid out the five critical technology areas shaping a potential future fight. She described the need to integrate artificial intelligence and machine learning to speed decision-making while preserving human oversight. Quantum technologies will revolutionize navigation, detection, and secure communications, while space systems must become more resilient and distributed. Autonomous systems capable of operating in contested domains will be essential, alongside cyber-secure, survivable networks designed to endure sustained attacks. “These aren’t aspirations,” she said. “They’re threshold capabilities and we must deliver them together to preserve the peace in this neighborhood we all call home.” Equally critical, Lenderman said, is how fast these technologies can be developed and delivered. She called on industry partners across the region to adopt a wartime mindset moving from design to mass production at speed. “Better designs, faster delivery, and mass production; that’s how we win,” Lenderman said. “The future fight requires every lever pulled: universities, innovators, and industry all driving together. Timelines measured in decades no longer meet the moment.” That challenge, and the shared responsibility to meet it, made Avalon uniquely significant. The symposium brought together air chiefs, senior leaders, and industry partners from across the Indo-Pacific and beyond to connect personally, forge new bonds, and recommit to the work ahead. “Today is not the day to test our resolve,” Lenderman warned. “The power of allies, the strength of these friendships, and our collective will to build what’s needed—this is what sets us apart.” During this time of consequence in the Indo-Pacific, Lenderman’s message stood as both a call to action and a reminder of what truly gives the U.S., allies and partners their edge: a network of partners willing to show up, stand together, and build for the future — not just in moments of crisis, but in gatherings like Avalon, where trust is renewed, and collective strength is made visible.