Quad Group joins naval exercises in search of new partners

Warships from the US, Japan, Australia, India and France will head to the Indo-Pacific for a three-day joint naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal, starting April 5. This will be the first joint exercise between the Quad countries (US, Japan, Australia and India) - after the group's leaders attended a virtual summit in March 2021.

Previously, the US, Japan, Australia and India participated in the Malabar joint exercise in November 2020. The addition of France - the leading country in this naval exercise, makes the event a "Quad plus", facilitating deeper cooperation between the countries. The 2019 La Perouse exercise, led by France, had the participation of Australia, Japan and the US but not India.

Dr. Swee Lean Collin Koh (Defense expert at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Singapore) assessed: "This exercise will be of special importance if the countries decide to turn this into a regular event."

“If the exercise goes well, it could be an encouraging signal for non-Quad countries to consider similar cooperation activities with the group,” added expert Lean Collin Koh.

In a statement released last week, the French Embassy in India described it as a “large-scale five-nation exercise”, saying it would provide an opportunity for the navies of five like-minded countries to develop stronger bonds, enhance skills, and strengthen maritime cooperation across the free and open Indo-Pacific region.

Expert Yogesh Joshi of the Institute of South Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore commented that the “Quad Plus” exercise will send a strong message to China.

“If all major countries criticize China’s behavior or band together to counter China’s aggression, it shows that Beijing may have acted wrongly from the beginning,” said Yogesh Joshi.

Strengthening the presence of the Diamond Quartet

The three-day exercise further strengthens the Quad's presence in the region after each member country held at least one bilateral exercise with another member in March.

On March 28 and 29, the Indian Air Force and Navy participated in a joint exercise with US Navy warships in the Bay of Bengal. Meanwhile, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force conducted two separate bilateral exercises, including an exercise with Australian Navy warships in the South China Sea from March 29 to 31 and a one-day exercise with US Navy warships in the East China Sea on March 29.

Retired Indian Navy Admiral RS Vasan, now director of the Chennai Centre for China Studies (C3S), said India’s participation in the La Perouse exercise for the first time showed its willingness to engage in multilateral activities that China fears. Since the border conflict between the two sides broke out in 2020, New Delhi’s approach has changed, Mr. Vasan said.

“New Delhi is frustrated by Beijing and is no longer worried about how its actions will be perceived by its neighbour. In a way, China has made it easier for India to join alliances,” Mr Vasan said.

The timing of the exercise is also noteworthy, coming shortly after US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visited Japan and South Korea. Secretary Austin then traveled to New Delhi, where he described India as “an increasingly important partner of the United States,” and said the two countries had agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

Looking for new partners

Dr. Swee Lean Collin Koh said that the La Perouse exercise could be aimed at persuading non-Quad countries to participate in similar joint exercises. According to this expert, Southeast Asian countries, which are currently involved in disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea, such as the Philippines and Malaysia, could be on the list of potential “Quad Plus” partners. However, these countries may be cautious about cooperating with the Quad, which is considered “an anti-China alliance.”

“This does not mean that there is no cooperation at the bilateral level. Even if we do not expect a Quad Plus-style naval exercise with ASEAN countries, we can still note the possibility of each member country in this grouping engaging in bilateral cooperation or small-scale multilateral cooperation with ASEAN partners,” Collin Koh commented.

Expert Yogesh Joshi also agreed with the above view and added, “ASEAN countries are unlikely to be willing to form a security alliance with the Quad group, but some countries may adjust their security policies towards individual Quad member countries.”

Hundreds of Chinese ships gathered in one place in the East Sea, Philippines worried. Illustrative photo

The La Perouse exercise also reveals the strategy European powers are developing to remain active in the Indo-Pacific, where they have significant economic interests. Germany and the UK have announced they will send warships to the Indo-Pacific this year. In addition, France, Germany and the Netherlands are leading efforts to draft the European Union’s Indo-Pacific strategy. After La Perouse, France will join India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in a multilateral naval exercise called Varuna in the Arabian Sea.

Expert Yogesh Joshi noted that when the waters in the Indo-Pacific appear with too many forces that China considers "unfriendly", Beijing may take actions that escalate tensions./.