In a landmark step towards deepening maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, the Coast Guards of the QUAD nations—India, Japan, the United States and Australia—have launched a multilateral initiative titled the “QUAD at Sea Ship Observer Mission”. This strategic cross-embarkation initiative sees two officers, including women officer, from each participating nation embarked onboard the United States Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) Stratton, currently en route to Guam, USA.

Anchored in the Wilmington Declaration adopted at the QUAD Leaders’ Summit (September 2024), the mission reflects the collective resolve of the QUAD to strengthen a Free, Open, Inclusive, and Rules-Based Indo-Pacific. It reinforces joint maritime readiness through enhanced interoperability, domain awareness, and operational coordination.

The observer-at-sea engagement marks a first-of-its-kind initiative among the QUAD maritime agencies—Indian Coast Guard (ICG), Japan Coast Guard (JCG), United States Coast Guard (USCG), and Australian Border Force (ABF).

The Indian Coast Guard's active participation underlines India’s strategic maritime vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region), and complements national efforts under the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI). It highlights India’s firm commitment to capacity-building, humanitarian outreach, and rule-based maritime order in the region.

The QUAD at Sea Observer Mission thus paves the way for a “QUAD Coast Guard Handshake”—deepening operational synergies, trust, and maritime governance among like-minded Indo-Pacific partners. As global maritime challenges grow increasingly complex, this initiative is a decisive stride towards shared security, collective preparedness, and regional resilience.