The Washington Times hosted more than 300 people on Wednesday at a forum where military experts spoke about maritime power in the Indo-Pacific as competition with China intensifies.
The IndoPac 2026 forum explored shipbuilding, technology, AI and other innovations to bolster national security.
Current and retired officials from the Navy, the Senate and the Trump administration shared their takes on the increasing use of technology in the military.
White House Budget Director Russell Vought; Adm. Daryl Caudle, chief of naval operations; GOP Sens. Todd Young of Indiana and Deb Fischer of Nebraska; GOP Rep. Pat Harrigan of North Carolina; and leaders from think tanks spoke to more than 300 attendees packed into the U.S. Navy Memorial auditorium.
Backstage, some speakers chatted about ongoing wars — particularly Russia versus Ukraine. One former military official mentioned traveling in May to Ukraine, where he witnessed 3,500 bodies of Russian soldiers piled up and noted the smell.
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The war, which started in February 2022, has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths. According to the Council on Foreign Relations Global Conflict Tracker, roughly half a million Russian soldiers died and tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers were killed.
The former military official also said there’s “no quarter” in the Russia-Ukraine war, meaning those who surrender are shown no mercy.
Mr. Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week at the Group of Seven summit, and reports surfaced soon after that Mr. Zelenskyy believes he has Mr. Trump’s support to act more boldly against Russia.
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