India, US co-host major forum of regional land forces

• The Indian Army and the US Army co-hosted 13th IPACC, 47th IPAMS and 9th SELF, a three-day conference of chiefs of Armies and delegates of 30 countries of the Indo-Pacific Region in New Delhi from September 25 to 27.

• Indo-Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference (IPACC), Indo-Pacific Armies Management Seminar (IPAMS), Senior Enlisted Leaders Forum (SELF), conference seeks to build trust, understanding and cooperation among land forces in the region, and promotes a free and open Indo-Pacific.

• The event witnessed participation from 30 countries. 

• Army chiefs of 18 countries participated in the three day event and 12 countries were represented by heads of delegations. 

• The event provided an opportunity for the delegates to exchange ideas and views on security and other contemporary issues of mutual interest, with core efforts directed to promote peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific Region.

• With close to 40 nations comprising its make-up, the Indo-Pacific Region covers more than half of the Earth’s surface with six of the most populated countries in the world. 

• This region is inclusive of over 3,000 languages and dialects, and poses some of the most pressing security challenges ranging from terrorism to natural disasters. 

• Seven of the world’s 10 largest armies are in the region where border disputes and sovereignty concerns are headline events.

Indo-Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference (IPACC)

• As many as 30 nations participated in the 13th Indo-Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference (IPACC). 

• IPACC is the largest conference for land forces in the region to promote peace and stability through mutual understanding, dialogue and friendship. 

• It provides multinational senior land commanders a forum to exchange views and ideas and to develop and strengthen their relationships.

• The conference brings army senior leaders together to discuss differences, establish trust, mitigate miscalculations, resolve challenges, and find commonality among the participating multinational-professional soldiers.

• As part of 13th IPACC, a Chief’s Round Table Conference was held on the theme “Together for Peace: Sustaining Peace and Stability in the Indo-Pacific Region”.

Indo-Pacific Armies Management Seminar (IPAMS)

• IPAMS is a military seminar that provides a forum for senior-level officers from the Indo-Pacific’s regional ground forces to exchange views and ideas. 

• It provides opportunities for future leaders of regional armies to develop strong interpersonal relationships and strengthen existing bonds.

• The IPAMS is the region’s longest and largest running multinational military seminar promoting security, peace and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Theater. 

• The first edition of IPAMS was held in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1977. Participation has grown from nine nations at the first conference to a high of 31 nations in Seoul in 2017.

• Sessions of 47th IPAMS were conducted in the Plenary Sessions on three themes. 

• The first theme was “Partnering for Sustainable Peace and Security in the Indo-Pacific”. 

• Second theme was “Cooperation to Enhance Interoperability”.

• The final theme was “Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR)- Evolving Mechanisms for Crises Response”. 

• Senior officers from Mongolia, Nepal, Japan, Australia, Philippines, Tonga, the US and India spoke on the topics and shared their views with all participants.

Senior Enlisted Leaders Forum (SELF)

• SELF involves the participation of tactical level sub-unit commanders to hold open dialogue, share lessons learned and provide understanding about Armies participating in the forum.

• The first SELF was held in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2013

• The ninth edition of the SELF was conducted in three sessions on the themes, “Interoperability Amongst Indo-Pacific Armies”, “Grooming Junior Leaders for Modern Battlefield” and “Beyond the Barracks- Addressing Senior Enlisted Leaders’ Concerns”. It was a unique forum where junior leaders at the functional level exchanged their views and ideas.

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