Republic of Palau President Surangel Whipps, Jr., U.S. Ambassador to Palau Joel Ehrendreich, and INDOPACOM Commodore Jonathan Lett led a team of U.S. and Palauan officials and experts for the biannual, bilateral meeting to discuss security and defense in the region.
“At the end of the day, it’s all about deterrence,” Whipps said. “It’s about working together to deter and to change behavior. I really appreciate our partnership and the opportunity that we have twice a year to meet and talk about issues, to be open, and to discuss the challenges that we have and the support that we need.”
Discussions focused on continued efforts to protect Palau’s national sovereignty, territory, population, economic stability, and critical infrastructure against external threats and aggression.
“President Whipps provided us with a masterclass in security, in its broadest sense,” Lett said. “Often those of us in uniform tend to view security through quite a narrow lens focused purely on defense. The president has today broadened my perspective of the full spectrum of security challenges faced by Indo-Pacific island nations such as Palau.”
In his opening comments, Ehrendreich said to never underestimate the power of the Compact of Free Association between Palau and the United States. Since 1994, Palau and the United States have been more than partners – we are friends, we are family, he said. He stressed that the COFA opens doors and provides great opportunity for us to make the region more stable and secure, together.
Subject-matter experts provided updates on military projects and events across Palau.
Work is on track at the defense site on Angaur, which will serve as the foundation for the receive component of the Tactical Multi-Mission Over-the-Horizon Radar (TACMOR) system. The construction work on Angaur expected to be complete by the end of 2025 while the transmit site at Ngaraard is still awaiting final Environmental Impact Statement approval.
Representatives from U.S. Pacific Air Forces discussed design work for the existing airfield on the Palauan island of Peleliu, which is now fully funded. The design to improve the airfield will take approximately one year to complete and planners are working closely with the Ministry of Public Infrastructure and Industries, and other stakeholders, to ensure the design meets military and community needs including considerations for lighting and maintenance. The airfield will be mutually beneficial to the military and the community for rapid transportation needs during crises.
Over the summer, SeaBees from 30th Naval Construction Regiment’s Underwater Construction Team removed 14 tons of debris from the water at Malakal Port in Koror, helping to improve the marine environment. They removed dangers to navigation present in the water, increasing safety for all mariners. The team continues this important work and is also planning to assist with derelict vessel removal to further improve safety.
Marines from 7th Expeditionary Support Battalion (B Company) serving under 30th NCR also continue to renovate roadways on Peleliu, reducing transit time and wear-and-tear on vehicles. Construction projects in the coming year will focus on South Dock and airfield renovations.
U.S. Army Pacific’s update highlighted the quarterly nursing Global Health Engagements held in June that brought together soldiers from U.S. Army Hospital Pacific with Palau’s Ministry of Health and Human Services personnel. In addition, exercise Tenacious Archer, held in August, united joint partners for an Integrated Air and Missile Defense live-fire exercise focused on medium range air defense systems.
Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command and INDOPACOM Engineering Division Joint Posture Management Office continue to develop projects for execution in coordination with the Palau government to include Palau’s Historic Preservation Office and Environmental Quality Protection Board.
Security was a focus area, with in-depth discussion on regional threats including immigration, drug trafficking, maritime, and cyber operations – challenges the U.S. and Palau share and are working together to combat. Experts described the U.S.’s work to maintain multi-domain situational awareness from seabed to space.
This year, the U.S. Air Force’s Office of Special Investigations team participated in law enforcement exchanges, and conducted trainings on crime-scene, and narcotics investigation. The U.S. Coast Guard continues to patrol waters around Palau with embarked Department of Maritime Law Enforcement personnel from Palau. These patrols are essential to building maritime situational awareness and serve as a deterrent for malign activity. In April, the U.S. Coast Guard conducted an International Port Security assessment, and its mobile training team also conducted outboard motor maintenance training.
Representatives also discussed plans for future collaboration with Palau national and regional law enforcement, and capacity building to improve internal stability, maritime security, cyber security, maritime domain awareness, border protection capabilities, and maritime safety; and increasing capacity- building efforts to improve Palau’s incident response readiness.
The Republic of Palau comprises 340-plus islands strategically located in the Western Pacific bordering the Philippines. Upon gaining independence in 1981, the nation entered a Compact of Free Association with the United States in 1994.
JTF-M synchronizes operations and activities across all domains, enabling a robust warfighting posture while enhancing partner nation capacity. Dedicated to promoting regional stability, JTF-M will perform homeland defense, Defense Support to Civil Authorities (DSCA), and foreign humanitarian assistance through a whole-of-government approach within its assigned joint operations area.
For more information about JTF-M, visit [https://www.pacom.mil/JTF-Micronesia/](https://www.pacom.mil/JTF-Micronesia/)
