Enhancing aerospace power engagement among Quad countries

The Indo-Pacific region is becoming the world's new strategic and economic ‘centre of gravity’. Indeed, the accelerated trajectory of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) in recent years highlights the region’s growing importance. The Quad countries have committed to a rules-based order and a free and open Indo-Pacific, and are aiming to develop resilience across domains, such as in the maritime space, to counter and deter aggressive behaviour in the region. Aerospace power will be a significant element and enabler in deterrence in the region’s maritime spaces. As such, the Quad countries must enhance cooperation in the aerospace power domain to build robust resilience and deterrence against coercive actions. This brief assesses the need for and scope of cooperation among Quad air forces and recommends a roadmap to achieve such collaboration in the aerospace power domain.

Quad—comprising India, the United States (US), Japan, and Australia—has evolved from a senior-level security dialogue to a leaders-level summit, despite China (who views the grouping as an attempt to counter it) initially dismissing it as an idea that would “dissipate like sea foam”. While Quad’s stated goals do not mention containing China, the grouping’s frequent references to a rules-based international order, freedom of navigation, and a free and open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) reflect its security dimensions aimed at deterring China. China has repeatedly displayed its uneasiness about Quad’s formation and activities. Still, for now, the Quad countries appear to be employing the viable strategy of cooperating on smaller and less controversial aspects to build better interoperability and communication before taking bigger steps in military cooperation and security issues.

The report can be accessed by clicking here.

This article is authored by Deepak Pant, ORF.