Maritime drill in Indian Ocean on as Quad foreign ministers set to meet

The informal grouping of India, the US, Japan and Australia is called QUAD.
Maritime drill in Indian Ocean on as Quad foreign ministers set to meet
Updated on
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NEW DELHI: While the maritime forces of the Quad nations are together exercising in the Indian Ocean as part of a multinational exercise, the foreign ministers of India, Australia and Japan are expected to meet a day after Donald Trump takes oath as the 47th US President on January 20.

The Indian Navy’s indigenously designed and built guided missile destroyer, INS Mumbai, is participating in the fourth edition of the multinational exercise, La Perouse. It is a France-led biennial multinational maritime exercise.

Elaborating on its participation, the Indian Navy said, “The exercise showcases the high levels of synergy, coordination and interoperability between the like-minded navies and their commitment to a rules-based international order in the maritime domain.”

It added, “This edition will witness participation of personnel, and surface and sub-surface assets from maritime partners including Royal Australian Navy, French Navy, Royal Navy, United States Navy, Indonesian Navy, Royal Malaysian Navy, Republic of Singapore Navy and Royal Canadian Navy.”

The informal grouping of India, the US, Japan and Australia is called QUAD. The exercise aims, said the Navy, to develop “common maritime situational awareness by enhancing the cooperation in the field of maritime surveillance, maritime interdiction operations and air operations along with the conduct of progressive training and information sharing.”

The exercise provides an opportunity for like-minded navies to develop closer links in planning, coordination and information sharing for enhanced tactical interoperability. The exercise will witness complex and advanced multi-domain exercises including surface warfare, anti-air warfare, air-defence, cross deck landings and tactical manoeuvres, as also the constabulary missions such as VBSS (Visit, Board, Search and Seizure) operations.

This visit is in consonance with India’s vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region to enhance maritime cooperation and collaboration for a safer and secure Indo-Pacific region, comprising the Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean and the surrounding landmasses.

China has been raising caution viewing Quad as a countervailing grouping against it.

This newspaper reported earlier quoting late General Bipin Rawat, the first Chief of Defence Staff who said, “...the Quad is specifically a strategic partnership between four nations for freedom of navigation and disaster mitigation and ecological changes that are happening. But to be able to support each other, firstly we need to understand each other.”

Enhancing cooperation

The informal grouping of India, the US, Japan and Australia is called QUAD. The exercise aims to develop common maritime situational awareness by enhancing coopera-tion in surveillance, maritime interdiction operations and air operations among these nations.

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