AUKUS and beyond: challenges and opportunities in the Indo-Pacific

 Mr. Denmark serves as the Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Defense for AUKUS. He advises the Secretary and coordinates efforts across the Department to move rapidly in delivering on the promise of this historic partnership to help Australia establish a conventionally armed, nuclear powered submarine capability and to accelerate development of advanced capabilities to serve security and stability in the Indo-Pacific. Mr. Denmark previously served as Vice President of Programs at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., but he is a familiar face at the Pentagon, having served from 2015 to 2017 as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia. His published work includes U.S. Strategy in the Asian Century, Empowering Allies and Partners (Columbia University Press, 2020), which focuses on relationships in the region as an indispensable strategic asset for the United States.

Before joining the Pentagon, Mr. Denmark held analytic positions at the National Bureau of Asian Research, the Center for a New American Security, and in the U.S. Intelligence Community. A Colorado native, he received an M.A. from the University of Denver Korbel School for International Studies, and a B.A. with Honors from the University of Northern Colorado.

 David was born in Sydney, New South Wales into a Navy family. He joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1991 through the Australian Defence Force Academy. After initial training he specialized as a warfare officer, sub-specialized in advanced navigation. In his sea-going career he has deployed throughout the Indo-Pacific and to the Middle East. He commanded the ANZAC class frigates Arunta and Ballarat and has twice served in the Navy’s Sea Training Group rounding out his sea-going career as Captain Sea Training.

Commodore Landon has served in a number of headquarters and staff appointments. In 2021 he completed a two-year secondment to the Office of National Intelligence and was selected on promotion to Commodore as the Nuclear Powered Submarine Taskforce Liaison Officer (USA) from November 2022. 

David was awarded a Conspicuous Service Medal in 2014 for his service in Sea Training Group and a Chief of Defence Force commendation for his service as the executive officer in HMAS Toowoomba deployed to Operation Catalyst, Australia’s whole-of-government effort to assist with the rehabilitation of Iraq. 

Commodore Landon is a distinguished graduate of the US Navy War College, a graduate of the Indonesian Navy Command and Staff Course and the Australian Defence Force Academy. He holds a Masters of Arts (Hons) (National Security and Strategic Studies), a Masters of Business Administration, and a Bachelor of Science. 

David is an average surfer, an above average golfer, enjoys all sports and spending time with his family. He is married to Carla and they have three children.

 Mica is currently the Vice President of the International Security Industry Council in Tokyo, and the Strategic Partnership Director of the first Allied Nation Defense Industrial Base Accelerator (DIBX), with a focus on promoting US innovation and emerging defense tech to Japan and other INDO-PACOM allies. 

Mica graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1987.  Mica served as an OV-1 pilot and Flight Operations Officer for the 2nd MI in West Germany, and Flight Leader during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, flying multiple combat missions in Saudi Arabia and Iraq in support of VII Corps. He is certified as a nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare (NBC) officer, and attended the NATO Electronic Warfare School in Oberammergau, Germany.  In the private sector, he has been CEO for multiple companies, and has served as a board director for J-Phone Kyushu, J-Phone West, J-Phone East, AZTEQ Mobile, Rightsmith KK, and Meaningly, Inc.  Mica is the President of the West Point Society of Japan.