New Delhi, India – Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ship Shaunak sailed from Chennai on Friday for Perth, Australia, as part of the QUAD-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission, aimed at enhancing maritime interoperability and professional exchanges among India, Australia, Japan, and the United States. According to the Indian Coast Guard, six officers, designated as ‘Sea Riders’, have embarked onboard Shaunak for the mission.
The group comprises two officers each from India and Japan, and one officer each from Australia and the U.S. They will participate in shipboard activities and professional exchanges during the voyage. The mission is intended to strengthen coordination, enhance mutual understanding of maritime operations, and build professional linkages among the four QUAD countries.
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The initiative is aligned with the QUAD Foreign Ministers’ Joint Statement of May 26, 2026, which reiterated the grouping’s commitment to a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based maritime order in the Indo-Pacific. The deployment also reflects India’s MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) vision and the ICG’s emphasis on collective engagement and cooperation with partner maritime forces to contribute to a secure maritime environment across the Indo-Pacific. The QUAD, comprising India, Australia, Japan, and the U.S., has been expanding practical cooperation in the maritime domain, including efforts to improve coordination and interoperability among its member countries.
