The coast guards of Japan, the United States, Australia, and India are planning to start carrying each other’s personnel on their vessels that patrol the Indo-Pacific. This move comes as China increases its hegemonic actions in the region. The four countries aim to strengthen the rule-based maritime order by enhancing their cooperation in maritime security.
In 2022, the Quad security framework, consisting of Japan, the United States, Australia, and India, agreed to establish the Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) framework for detecting suspicious vessels in the Indo-Pacific. At the upcoming Quad Leaders Summit in Wilmington, Del., on Saturday, leaders from these countries will announce their intention to deepen cooperation further.
Under this plan for patrols with personnel from other nations, a coast guard vessel from one country would patrol with personnel from three other countries on board every year starting in 2025. These personnel will be present during law enforcement activities and participate in onboard training exercises. By learning from each other’s operational methods and exchanging opinions, they aim to improve interoperability and share knowledge.
To kickstart this initiative next year, members from Japan Coast Guard (JCG), Australian Border Force (ABF), and Indian Coast Guard (ICG) will join a patrol vessel of the United States Coast Guard (USCG). Furthermore, JCG plans to utilize a helicopter-carrying ship for international operations scheduled to come into service by fiscal 2026.
In addition to this collaboration among Quad members’ coast guards, there are plans to create an Indo-Pacific maritime training initiative with Southeast Asian countries as well as South Asian countries and Pacific island nations. Currently conducted separately by member states of Quad through drills such as maritime rescue and surveillance for illegal fishing; this initiative aims at coordinating these exercises more effectively without overlap.
The proposed name for this initiative is MAITRI which means ”friendship” in Sanskrit.
