The United States, India, Australia, and Japan are set to unveil new military cooperation efforts during a summit in Wilmington, Delaware, as part of the ongoing Quad security dialogue. Key initiatives include the creation of a joint logistics network that will allow the four nations to share cargo space on military aircraft and ships for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.
In addition to the logistics network, the leaders will announce the first-ever Quad Coast Guard exercise, involving the U.S. Coast Guard, Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force, and the coast guard services of India and Australia. These efforts aim to enhance maritime security and cooperation across the Indo-Pacific region.
The summit will also introduce plans to expand the U.S.-led “Indo-Pacific Partnership for maritime domain awareness,” bringing advanced technologies and training to South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands. This will help nations better monitor their territorial waters and address regional security concerns.
Additionally, the Quad leaders will promote new “Open RAN” pilot programs in the Pacific Islands and Southeast Asia, emphasizing interoperability and the standardization of radio access networks across partner nations.
The Quad security dialogue, established in 2007, has seen renewed focus in recent years, particularly as a counterbalance to growing Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific. Cooperation between the U.S. and the other Quad nations has expanded, notably through the AUKUS agreement, which will provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines built with U.S. and U.K. technology.
President Biden’s decision to host the summit in his hometown of Wilmington continues a tradition of U.S. presidents using personal residences for high-level diplomacy, following in the footsteps of predecessors like Donald Trump and George W. Bush.
