The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad)—comprising Australia, India, Japan, and the United States—successfully concluded their first Field Training Exercise (FTX) under the Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network (IPLN) from December 8 to 12, 2025.
The FTX was conducted on the sidelines of Operation Christmas Drop at Andersen Air Force Base, marking a significant step in enhancing Quad cooperation for rapid, coordinated humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) across the Indo-Pacific.
The IPLN is designed to enable Quad partners to leverage shared logistics capabilities to support civilian response to large-scale natural disasters, allowing faster delivery of aid, improved recovery efforts, and effective support to regional partners.
During the exercise, participating forces undertook a range of training activities aimed at interoperability and coordination, including boarding a Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) C-130H transport aircraft. These activities strengthened collective disaster response capacity and highlighted the practical integration of Quad logistics assets.
Officials said the FTX, together with the IPLN Tabletop Exercise (TTX) conducted in April 2025, underscores the Quad’s commitment to practical cooperation in addressing regional challenges and advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Looking ahead, the Quad plans to explore regular IPLN activities, including future tabletop and field training exercises, confidence-building measures, and subject matter expert exchanges, to further institutionalise logistics cooperation and readiness for regional contingencies.
