The Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa, participated in the Pacific Air Chiefs Symposium 2023 held at Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, from  13 to 16 November 2023. This symposium, hosted by the United States Indo-Pacific Command, served as a critical platform for air chiefs worldwide to collaboratively address the multifaceted security challenges in the Asia-Pacific region, encompassing the air, maritime, and cyber domains. Originating in 1989, this biannual event, which saw its largest gathering in history this year, facilitated discussions among senior leaders on challenges and opportunities within the Indo-Pacific.

The symposium focused on applying global lessons to regional security issues, with air chiefs emphasizing the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific, regional security, and strengthened bilateral and multilateral relationships. Key concerns, including Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), cybersecurity, countering extremism, and Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), were addressed. Mitigation strategies highlighted the commitment to uphold international laws and norms, foster an open and inclusive regional architecture, establish transparent communication channels among major players to reduce uncertainty and encourage cooperation on common interests to preserve peace and prevent conflicts in the region.