New Delhi, June 30, 2025: In a landmark step towards enhancing maritime collaboration, the Coast Guards of the QUAD nations—India, Japan, the United States, and Australia—have jointly launched the “QUAD at Sea Ship Observer Mission.” The initiative, which involves cross-embarkation of officers aboard the US Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) Stratton, marks a new era of interoperability and operational trust among the four Indo-Pacific partners.
Currently en route to Guam, the USCGC Stratton has two officers, including a woman officer, from each participating nation onboard. This first-of-its-kind mission aims to foster mutual understanding, strengthen maritime domain awareness, and streamline joint operational practices.
The initiative is rooted in the Wilmington Declaration adopted during the QUAD Leaders’ Summit in September 2024. It underscores the QUAD’s united commitment to a Free, Open, Inclusive, and Rules-Based Indo-Pacific. The joint effort reflects a collective resolve to address emerging maritime security challenges through deeper coordination and readiness.
The Indian Coast Guard’s participation in the observer mission aligns with India’s strategic maritime vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and supports the broader Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI). It also reaffirms India’s dedication to regional capacity-building, humanitarian outreach, and the promotion of a rules-based maritime order.
Termed informally as a potential “QUAD Coast Guard Handshake,” the mission is seen as a major step toward institutionalizing regular Coast Guard collaboration within the QUAD framework. As maritime threats grow increasingly complex, this multilateral cooperation offers a powerful platform for collective security, shared responsibility, and resilient maritime governance in the Indo-Pacific.
