ICG Ship Shaunak Sails for Perth on QUAD-at-Sea Observer Mission
Indian Coast Guard Ship Shaunak left Chennai for Perth in Australia on 25 September 2026 for the QUAD-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission, carrying six Sea Riders.

Why in News
On 25 September 2026 Indian Coast Guard Ship Shaunak sailed from Chennai to Perth in Australia as part of the QUAD-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission, with six Sea Riders from the four QUAD countries embarked.
The Indian Coast Guard ship Shaunak left Chennai on 25 September 2026 and set course for Perth in Australia, beginning India's leg of the QUAD-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission. The sailing is meant to deepen maritime cooperation and working-level compatibility among the four QUAD partners.
Who is taking part
The QUAD brings together India, Australia, Japan and the United States. Six officers, described as Sea Riders, boarded Shaunak for the voyage. India and Japan sent two officers each, while Australia and the United States sent one apiece. On board they join the ship's routine and take part in professional exchanges, the idea being that crews of different navies and coast guards learn how the others drill, signal and respond before any real emergency arises.
What the mission is built on
The initiative follows the Quad Foreign Ministers' Joint Statement issued on 26 May 2026. Through it the four countries restated a shared position on the seas of the Indo-Pacific: that the maritime order there should stay free, open, inclusive and anchored in rules rather than in power.
The MAHASAGAR link
The voyage also sits inside India's wider maritime outlook, MAHASAGAR, which stands for Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions. That framing treats security and economic growth in the neighbouring seas as one problem rather than two, and an observer mission of this kind is one of the low-cost ways of building the habits of cooperation it calls for.
Why it matters
For the Indian Coast Guard, sending a ship on a long overseas passage with foreign officers embarked is a statement of reach as much as of goodwill. Interoperability of the sort the mission is chasing is what allows separate forces to run a joint search-and-rescue effort, a pollution response or an anti-piracy patrol without first having to learn each other's methods from scratch.
Important Facts
| Mission | QUAD-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission |
|---|---|
| Ship | Indian Coast Guard Ship Shaunak |
| Sailed from | Chennai |
| Destination | Perth, Australia |
| Date of sailing | 25 September 2026 |
| QUAD members | India, Australia, Japan and the United States |
| Sea Riders embarked | Six - two each from India and Japan, one each from Australia and the United States |
| Guiding document | Quad Foreign Ministers' Joint Statement of 26 May 2026 |
| MAHASAGAR | Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions |
| Ministry | Ministry of Defence |
Exam Point of View
Remember the ship (ICG Shaunak), the ports (Chennai to Perth, Australia), the mission name (QUAD-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission), the four QUAD members, the number of Sea Riders and how they were divided, the Quad Foreign Ministers' Joint Statement of 26 May 2026, and the full form of MAHASAGAR.
Practice Questions
Which Indian Coast Guard ship sailed from Chennai to Perth for the QUAD-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission?
- A.ICGS Samarth
- B.ICGS Sarthak
- C.ICGS Shaunak
- D.ICGS Vikram
Show answer
Correct answer: C. ICGS Shaunak
Explanation
The correct answer is ICGS Shaunak. Shaunak is the Indian Coast Guard ship that left Chennai on 25 September 2026 for Perth in Australia as India's contribution to the QUAD-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission, carrying six Sea Riders drawn from the four QUAD countries. Options A, B and D name other Coast Guard vessels, none of which was deployed for this particular mission; they are placed here because ship names of this class are easy to confuse in an examination hall. Candidates should link three details together when they revise this item: the ship is Shaunak, the port of departure is Chennai, and the destination is Perth on Australia's west coast. Remember also that the QUAD grouping consists of India, Australia, Japan and the United States, and that the sailing is presented as an expression of India's maritime vision, MAHASAGAR.
How many Sea Riders embarked on the Indian Coast Guard ship for the QUAD-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission?
- A.Four
- B.Six
- C.Eight
- D.Ten
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Six
Explanation
The correct answer is six. The officers who boarded the ship for the passage are called Sea Riders, and the split is worth memorising because a paper setter can ask about it directly: India and Japan contributed two officers each, while Australia and the United States contributed one officer each, which adds up to six in all. Option A is wrong because four would leave out one of the pairs; option C and option D are wrong because no additional officers were embarked beyond the six named. On board, these officers take part in shipboard activities and professional exchanges meant to improve coordination between the maritime forces of the four countries and to build trust, so that joint responses at sea become easier when a real situation arises.
MAHASAGAR, the maritime vision reflected in this mission, stands for which of the following?
- A.Maritime Advancement for Harbour, Security and Growth Across Regions
- B.Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions
- C.Mutual Assistance for Shipping, Growth and Regional Security
- D.Maritime Harmony and Security Growth Around Regions
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions
Explanation
The correct answer is Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions. MAHASAGAR is the name given to India's maritime vision, and the QUAD-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission is described as an expression of it, alongside the Indian Coast Guard's own commitment to collective engagement and a secure maritime environment in the Indo-Pacific. Options A, C and D are all invented expansions that borrow familiar words such as maritime, shipping, harbour and security but do not match the official full form. Aspirants are frequently tested on exact expansions of this kind, so it helps to fix the order of words in memory: mutual first, then holistic advancement, then security and growth, and finally across regions. Pair this with the mission's other facts, namely ICG Ship Shaunak sailing from Chennai to Perth on 25 September 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Indian Coast Guard ship is taking part in the QUAD-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission?
ICG Ship Shaunak, which sailed from Chennai for Perth in Australia on 25 September 2026 with six Sea Riders from the four QUAD countries on board.
What does MAHASAGAR stand for?
Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions. It is India's maritime vision, and the QUAD-at-Sea observer mission is presented as an expression of it.
Which countries make up the QUAD?
India, Australia, Japan and the United States. The observer mission is aligned with their Foreign Ministers' Joint Statement of 26 May 2026 on a rules-based maritime order in the Indo-Pacific.
Sources
- ICG to strengthen maritime cooperation through QUAD‑at‑Sea Ship Observer Mission (opens in a new tab) — Press Information Bureau
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