Hegseth Urges Allies to Bolster Defense Capabilities at Shangri-La Dialogue

SINGAPORE — U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told regional leaders Friday that security in the Indo-Pacific cannot depend exclusively on American military power, calling for a significant increase in defense spending and industrial capacity among allied nations.

Speaking at the 24th Shangri-La Dialogue hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Hegseth addressed the growing concern that U.S. forces are shouldering a disproportionate burden of regional security. He emphasized that long-term stability requires capable partners with genuine military strength and political resolve.

"The era of relying solely on American power to guarantee regional security is over," Hegseth said during his keynote address. "We need allies who can stand on their own, who have the industrial base to sustain their forces, and the political will to make the hard choices required for defense."

The Secretary's remarks come amid broader strategic shifts within the U.S. administration regarding burden-sharing and alliance structures. Hegseth highlighted that the atrophy of defense capabilities among key partners has created vulnerabilities that adversaries could exploit. He argued that a robust regional security architecture requires nations to invest in modernizing their armed forces and expanding their defense industries.

Hegseth did not specify which nations were the primary focus of his critique, but his comments were widely interpreted as a message to long-standing U.S. allies in Asia. He noted that while the United States remains committed to its treaty obligations, the scale of potential threats in the region demands a more balanced distribution of military responsibility.

The dialogue, held at the Shangri-La Hotel, brought together defense ministers and senior military officials from more than 40 countries. Hegseth's speech was one of the high-profile addresses of the three-day event, which focuses on security challenges in the Asia-Pacific region.

During a question-and-answer session following his remarks, Hegseth reiterated that the United States is not seeking to withdraw from the region but rather to foster a more sustainable security environment. He stressed that American military power is a force multiplier, not a substitute for allied capabilities.

Regional analysts noted that Hegseth's comments align with a broader push to encourage greater self-reliance among U.S. partners. However, some observers questioned the timeline for such a shift, noting that building industrial capacity and modernizing militaries takes years of sustained investment.

The Secretary concluded his address by urging leaders to move beyond rhetoric and commit to concrete action plans. He stated that the window for strengthening regional defenses is narrowing as geopolitical tensions continue to rise.

As the dialogue continues, attention remains on how regional partners will respond to the call for increased defense spending and whether new security frameworks will emerge to address the shifting balance of power in the Indo-Pacific.