Quad partners, Australia, India, Japan and the US, have successfully conducted their first Field Training Exercise (FTX) on the sidelines of Operation Christmas Drop at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam as part of the Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network, IPLN. The Exercise was conducted from 8th to 12th December. The External Affairs Ministry said in a statement that the IPLN is an initiative that enables Quad partners to leverage shared logistics capabilities to support civilian response to large-scale natural disasters more rapidly and efficiently across the Indo-Pacific to save lives, boost recovery efforts, and provide support for regional partners.

This FTX strengthened the Quad partners’ disaster response capacity through training activities, including boarding a Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF) C-130H transport aircraft. The FTX focused on interoperability and coordination between the Quad partners’ capabilities. This capacity is key to the Quad’s goal to better support regional partners in moments of need. This FTX reflected the Quad’s commitment to strengthening practical cooperation to address regional challenges and to ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific.