Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      PACAF boss speaks at AFA conference, emphasizes importance of a free and open Indo-PacificUnder Secretary of the Air Force Gina Ortiz Jones, Gen. Ken Wilsbach, Pacific Air Forces commander, and Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, commander of U.S. Transportation Command, speak on a panel called “Preparing for Global Competition” during the 2022 Air and Space Forces Association’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Md., Sept. 19, 2022. The three speakers discussed strategic competition shifting focus toward China and the Taiwan Strait as the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command maintains a competitive military advantage to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Nick Wilson)
            
            
            Photo Details /
                Download Hi-Res

    










PACAF boss speaks at AFA conference, emphasizes importance of a free and open Indo-PacificGen. Ken Wilsbach, Pacific Air Forces commander, speaks on a panel called “Preparing for Global Competition” during the 2022 Air and Space Forces Association’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Md., Sept. 19, 2022. Senior leaders used China as a key topic of interest during the AFA conference. PACAF will cooperate with China to reduce the risk of miscalculation and maintain open lines of communication between militaries to reduce the risk of miscalculation and reaffirm operations wherever international law allows. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Nick Wilson)
            
            
            Photo Details /
                Download Hi-Res

    
PACAF boss speaks at AFA conference, emphasizes importance of a free and open Indo-PacificUnder Secretary of the Air Force Gina Ortiz Jones, Gen. Ken Wilsbach, Pacific Air Forces commander, and Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, commander of U.S. Transportation Command, speak on a panel called “Preparing for Global Competition” during the 2022 Air and Space Forces Association’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Md., Sept. 19, 2022. The three speakers discussed strategic competition shifting focus toward China and the Taiwan Strait as the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command maintains a competitive military advantage to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Nick Wilson)
            
            
            Photo Details /
                Download Hi-Res
        
        PACAF boss speaks at AFA conference, emphasizes importance of a free and open Indo-PacificGen. Ken Wilsbach, Pacific Air Forces commander, speaks on a panel called “Preparing for Global Competition” during the 2022 Air and Space Forces Association’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Md., Sept. 19, 2022. Senior leaders used China as a key topic of interest during the AFA conference. PACAF will cooperate with China to reduce the risk of miscalculation and maintain open lines of communication between militaries to reduce the risk of miscalculation and reaffirm operations wherever international law allows. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Nick Wilson)
            
            
            Photo Details /
                Download Hi-Res
PACAF boss speaks at AFA conference, emphasizes importance of a free and open Indo-PacificPublished Sept. 21, 2022
                    
                    By Tech. Sgt. Nick Wilson
                    
                    
                    Headquarters, U.S. Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs
            **NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. (AFNS) --****Gen. Ken Wilsbach**, **Pacific Air Forces** commander, spoke to several audiences about the readiness and resiliency of PACAF forces during the **Air and Space Forces Association’s** Air, Space and Cyber Conference at the Gaylord National Resort in National Harbor Sept. 19.
Wilsbach provided remarks as one of three panelists for a “Preparing for Global Competition” presentation, hosted a media roundtable on “Defending the Indo-Pacific Theater,” and hosted a think tank.
“Regarding China, I mentioned at our last conference that I am watching them like a hawk, and that posture has not wavered,” said Wilsbach, a command pilot with more than 5,000 flying hours in a slew of fighter aircraft. “In fact, now more than ever, Indo-Pacific Allies and partners are resolute in their collective defense of a free and open region.”
Wilsbach explained why the topic of strategic competition recently shifted into even greater focus.PACAF boss speaks at AFA conference, emphasizes importance of a free and open Indo-PacificCol. Sean McKenna, Pacific Air Forces director of public affairs and Gen. Ken Wilsbach, PACAF commander, prepare to answer questions from the media during a media roundtable called “Defending the Indo-Pacific Theater” at the 2022 Air and Space Forces Association’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Md., Sept. 19, 2022. During the conference, one of the key topics Wilsbach covered included strengthening alliances and attracting new partners to create an asymmetric advantage through access and interoperability as well as increased partner capacity and domain awareness.  (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Nick Wilson)
            
            
            Photo Details /
                Download Hi-Res
    
    PACAF boss speaks at AFA conference, emphasizes importance of a free and open Indo-PacificUnder Secretary of the Air Force Gina Ortiz Jones, Gen. Ken Wilsbach, Pacific Air Forces commander, and Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, commander of U.S. Transportation Command, speak on a panel called “Preparing for Global Competition” during the 2022 Air and Space Forces Association’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Md., Sept. 19, 2022. Senior leaders used China as a key topic of interest during the AFA conference and discussed how PACAF will cooperate with China to reduce the risk of miscalculation and maintain open lines of communication between both militaries to mitigate conflict and reaffirm the U.S. will operate wherever international law allows. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Nick Wilson)
            
            
            Photo Details /
                Download Hi-Res
    
    PACAF boss speaks at AFA conference, emphasizes importance of a free and open Indo-PacificUnder Secretary of the Air Force Gina Ortiz Jones and Gen. Ken Wilsbach, Pacific Air Forces commander, participate in a panel called “Preparing for Global Competition” during the 2022 Air and Space Forces Association’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Md., Sept. 19, 2022. The theme of this year’s conference is “America’s Air and Space Forces – Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (75 Years in the Defense of Our Nation). (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Nick Wilson)
            
            
            Photo Details /
                Download Hi-Res

“Last month, we all saw the way the PRC [People’s Republic of China] overreacted to a single politician talking to another politician, and I personally found the response to be unreasonable and destabilizing,” Wilsbach noted. “The PRC used a peaceful dialogue between democratically elected leaders as a pretext to increase provocative military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait.”
Wilsbach described the best way for PACAF to navigate the continuously changing security environment while maintaining peace in the region.
“We do it through deterrence and preparation, and it is important to highlight that one of our greatest methods of deterrence involves ensuring that we would not be doing so alone,” Wilsbach said. “In fact, during our recent exercise **Pitch Black**, we trained alongside 16 other countries as part of a large force employment event.”
Overall, Wilsbach emphasized his desire to fulfill the United States’ commitment under the Taiwan Relations Act to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability while resisting any use of force or coercion that would jeopardize the security or the social or economic system of the people of Taiwan.
“We prepare and stand ready for anything that poses a threat to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Wilsbach said. “We will defend our interests without flinching and we’ll work toward our vision for this region — one of expanding security, one of increased cooperation, and not one of growing division.”LR 



USAF 



AF 



Air Force 



PACAF 



Pacific Air Forces 



AFA 



Air Force Association 



air 



space 



cyber 



Conference 



China 



Under Secretary of the Air Force 



Gina Ortiz Jones 



Gen. Ken Wilsbach 



Indo-Pacific 



ASC22 



panel discussion Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fight
                    
                    SecAF Kendall AFA Warfare Symposium Q&A: Reoptimizing for Great Power CompetitionInnovation
                AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalists
                    
                    Chief Digital, Artificial Intelligence Office to host hackathon in HawaiiMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil