Australia, Japan, and the United States today reaffirmed their commitment to support India’s maritime surveillance efforts in the Indo-Pacific region while recognising the importance of closer collaboration in the field. Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, Richard Marles, Japanese Defence Minister Nakatani Gen, and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin III convened the fourteenth Trilateral Defence Ministers’ Meeting (TDMM) today in Darwin, Australia.

 

 

 

In a joint statement issued after the meeting, they showed their commitment to enhance Australia-Japan-India-United States maritime domain awareness in the Indo-Pacific from 2025. They also acknowledged India’s leadership role in conceptualizing the idea of closer collaboration in maritime surveillance.  India’s maritime surveillance in the Indo-Pacific region focuses on bolstering its naval and maritime security while developing a comprehensive Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) framework.

 

 

 

The trilateral leaders also expressed satisfaction over recent joint initiatives as they welcomed the success of their maritime patrol aircraft collaboration activity with India on the sidelines of Exercise KAKADU in September this year. Earlier in September, the Wilmington Declaration, released following the Quad leaders’ meeting, highlighted India’s leadership in finalising the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (IOIP).

 

 

 

The Quad expressed its support for the implementation of this framework. The Quad, comprising the US, Japan, India, and Australia, has committed to implementing the ‘Maritime Initiative for Training in the Indo-Pacific’ (MAITRI) to enhance monitoring, law enforcement, and deterrence of unlawful activities in the region.