ICG Ship Shaunak sails for Australia under Quad-at-Sea observer mission

New Delhi, Sep 25. Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Ship Shaunak sailed from Chennai for Perth, Australia, on September 25 as part of the QUAD-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission, aimed at strengthening maritime cooperation and operational interoperability among India, Australia, Japan and the United States.

Six officers, designated as Sea Riders, have embarked on the ICG vessel for the mission. The group comprises two officers each from India and Japan and one officer each from Australia and the US. They will participate in shipboard activities and professional exchanges during the voyage, with the objective of improving coordination, sharing operational experience and building mutual trust among the four Quad countries.

The mission is in line with the commitments outlined in the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Joint Statement issued on May 26 this year which reaffirmed the four countries’ shared interest in maintaining a free, open, inclusive and rules-based maritime order in the Indo-Pacific.

The deployment provides an operational dimension to the Quad’s maritime cooperation by bringing personnel from all four countries together aboard an Indian Coast Guard ship for professional interaction and joint exposure to maritime operations.

The initiative also reflects India’s broader maritime vision of MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions), under which New Delhi seeks to promote security, stability and growth through greater cooperation with countries across the Indian Ocean and wider Indo-Pacific.

The Indian Coast Guard said the mission underlines its commitment to strengthening professional linkages and collective engagement with partner maritime forces while contributing to a secure and cooperative maritime environment across the Indo-Pacific.