Bridging the Distance: Austability at the SAME Indo-Pacific Summit
Earlier this month, Austability Australia participated in the 2025 SAME Indo-Pacific Regional Summit in Honolulu, Hawaii. The event brought together over 1,200 defence, government, and industry leaders under the theme “Bridging the Distance Together.”
By Ben Khandan, Managing Director of Austability Australia & President of SAME Australia
The summit focused on five key themes shaping the future of regional defence collaboration:
- Allied Cooperation: Sessions spotlighted Australia’s infrastructure investments, Japan’s Ministry of Defence initiatives, and OSD perspectives on strengthening partnerships across the Indo-Pacific.
- Climate Resilience: Guam’s recovery from Super Typhoon Mawar was used as a case study, highlighting disaster response approaches and resilience planning that connects immediate response to long-term recovery.
- Advanced Technologies: AI-driven situational awareness platforms, digital twin simulations, and IoT integration (like Tyndall’s IROC) demonstrated how innovation is already enhancing mission readiness.
- Cybersecurity Integration: Experts stressed embedding cybersecurity into infrastructure design from the outset, rather than retrofitting later.
- Distributed Operations: Expeditionary construction exercises such as NAVFAC’s Warp Speed and PACAF’s Weaponizing Construction showcased rapid deployment capabilities for dispersed locations.
Beyond the sessions, this was an important opportunity to collaborate and strengthen relationships across the entire defence sector as we all seek to foster peace and security in this strategic part of the world.
The summit also marked the formal announcement of SAME Australia – a milestone for regional collaboration. It is a great honour for me to be the inaugural President.
This chapter connects Australia’s engineering and defence expertise to global conversations, while supporting efforts that promote peace and security across the Indo-Pacific.
Austability is proud to help lead this initiative and remains committed to applying summit insights to our work across the region – from climate-resilient infrastructure to cyber-secure base operations.
Get in touch to explore how Austability can support your mission. And if you’re an Australian defence or engineering professional, consider joining SAME Australia to expand your global network and grow your expertise.
