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Maritime security, cooperation and trust-building across the Indo-Pacific were the focus of a reception hosted aboard Indian Coast Guard Ship Shaunak at Fremantle Port on October 8, bringing together representatives of Australia, India, Japan and the United States as part of the 2026 Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission.
India’s Consul General in Perth, Kajari Biswas, welcomed diplomats, Australian government officials, defense industry representatives and maritime personnel aboard the vessel. The Consulate General of India in Perth said Shaunak sailed from Chennai on September 25 and arrived in Fremantle on October 7 as part of a mission that aims to enhance maritime interoperability and foster professional exchanges among the maritime agencies of the four countries.
Addressing the gathering, Biswas said the growth and prosperity of all countries, and the safety and security of their people depend on “keeping our oceans and sea lanes of communication free, and the blue economy resilient and stable.”
Guests included United States Consul General Colleen Altstock, Japan’s Deputy Consul General Daisuke Hasegawa and Western Australian parliamentarians Yaz Mubarakai MLA and Hugh Jones MLA, along with representatives of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Defense West and the Australian Border Force, heads of community organizations and Indian armed forces veterans.
Among those acknowledged were Natasha Hart, Deputy Director of DFAT’s Western Australian office; Linda Dawson, Head of the Office of Defense Industries at Defense West; Brett Peek, Deputy Chairperson of the Henderson Alliance; former Brigadier Brett Chaloner; and Captain David Heppingstone, Harbour Master of Fremantle Port Authority.
Also present were Captain Rohit Raymond Kattoju, India’s Defense Adviser to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Tonga, and Deputy Inspector General Ajay Chaturvedi, Commanding Officer of Shaunak.
Biswas described the mission as part of a wider focus on maritime cooperation, which she called one of the Quad’s principal pillars, saying it continues “to strengthen coast guard cooperation, interoperability, and domain awareness in the Indo-Pacific” among the four partners. She traced the initiative to the first such mission in 2025, when the United States Coast Guard ship Stratton sailed from Palau to Guam.
Biswas acknowledged the six Sea Riders embarked for the mission: Supervisor Nick Maguire of Australia; Lieutenant Commanders Yuki Morimasa and Maki Tominaga of Japan; Deputy Commandant Divyaraj Singh Bhati and Assistant Commandant Apurva Gautam Hore of India; and Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Cheyenne Waters of the United States.
Their participation in shipboard activities and professional exchanges is intended to help share operational knowledge, strengthen coordination and build mutual trust among the Quad partners, the Consulate noted. During its Fremantle visit, Shaunak will also hold a series of training activities and subject matter expert exchanges in harbor with the Australian Border Force, engagements the Consulate said will help share professional expertise and promote mutual understanding of operational practices among the participating agencies.
Biswas said Quad collaboration has progressively expanded across areas including maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, emerging technologies, cybersecurity, infrastructure, health security and climate change. In maritime cooperation, she said, the emphasis has been on operational coordination, interoperability, information sharing and capacity building to foster “a safe, secure and stable maritime environment in the Indo-Pacific.”
She said constant conversation among stakeholders would “promote rapid response in crisis, and ensure collective responsibility among like-minded partners,” adding that “whether in times of peace or crisis, communication and trust-building will always be central to diplomacy and international relations.”
Details shared by India’s mission in Perth describe Shaunak (CG 15), whose name means “wise,” as the fourth of its class of Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessels, designed and built in India by Goa Shipyard Limited and commissioned on February 21, 2017. The 105-meter ship has a top speed of 26 knots, an endurance of 6,500 nautical miles at economical speed and a complement of 14 officers and 103 sailors and can operate light helicopters.
Biswas closed by saying she was sure the crew of Shaunak and the Sea Riders “would have strengthened those ties of trust and understanding that will build for a safer future.”
Shaunak will be open to visitors on Saturday, October 10, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Victoria Quay C/D Berth, Fremantle Ports, the Consulate said. The ship is scheduled to depart Fremantle on October 11, Indian officials said.
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