Washington: The Quad countries-Australia, India, Japan, and the United States-are developing standard operating procedures (SOPs) to establish an institutional framework for operationalising the Indo-Pacific Logistics Network (IPLN).
The four countries made progress on the SOPs during a tabletop exercise (TTX) held in Tokyo, focused on strengthening coordination and interoperability in civilian disaster response across the Indo-Pacific.
Hosted by Japan’s Ministry of Defense, the exercise examined natural disaster scenarios and how the Quad partners could leverage their respective logistics capabilities to improve the speed and efficiency of humanitarian response.
According to a joint statement issued by the Quad partners, the exercise was agreed upon at the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in May.
The Tokyo exercise built on the inaugural IPLN TTX held in Hawaii in April 2025 and a field training exercise (FTX) conducted in Guam in December 2025.
Quad representative met to further advance the Indo-Pacific Logistics Network in Tokyo — sharpening Quad countries’ ability to respond fast when disaster strikes. The tabletop exercise demonstrated Quad partners’ commitment to support regional partners during natural disasters…
— Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs (@USAsiaPacific) September 14, 2026
“Through the TTX, the Quad partners made significant progress toward the development of the IPLN Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs),” the statement said, adding that the procedures would provide an institutional framework for the effective operationalisation of the network.
The partners also discussed ways to coordinate humanitarian assistance and relief operations during crises and emergencies. They expressed condolences to communities affected by recent devastating floods and reaffirmed their commitment to supporting regional partners during disasters.
The IPLN is designed to allow the Quad countries to combine and leverage their logistics capabilities to support faster and more efficient civilian responses to large-scale natural disasters across the Indo-Pacific.
The initiative aims to help save lives, accelerate recovery and strengthen support for regional partners during emergencies.
The latest exercise reaffirmed the Quad’s commitment to practical cooperation on regional challenges and its broader objective of supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The four countries said they would continue efforts to operationalise the IPLN through further tabletop and field training exercises, confidence-building measures and exchanges among subject matter experts.
