Quad May Announce Expansion Of Maritime Pact To Indian Ocean: White House

The QUAD summit, set to begin in Wilmington, Delaware, will focus on expanding the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) initiative from Southeast Asia to the IndianIndianIndian Ocean Region, according to the White House. This expansion aims to enhance maritime security and monitor illegal activities at sea.

The IPMDA was first introduced at the QUAD Leaders Summit in Tokyo two years ago, targeting the surveillance and monitoring of maritime activities to ensure security and stability in the region. The upcoming summit will not only formalize the expansion of this initiative but also introduce “new sophisticated technologies” to enhance the maritime domain picture, alongside new training programs.

This initiative’s extension to the Indian Ocean will allow QUAD members, particularly Australia and India, to collaborate more closely with regional partners, improving coordination and response to maritime challenges across the Indo-Pacific region.