The US Department of War’s decision to rename the Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) to its original name, Pacific Command (PACOM), on 16 July 2026 surprised regional allies and geopolitical observers.[ii] The move, as the Pentagon argues, is aimed at restoring the military command’s pre-2018 identity while keeping the command’s mission and area of responsibility unchanged.

Some subtle yet distinct strategic and rhetorical recalibrations are now evident as well. While the 2018 US National Defense Strategy signalled America’s resolve and commitment to the Indo-Pacific, the November 2025 National Security Strategy (NSS) suggested a possible realignment of US interests in the region, in which US partners, including India, are expected to contribute more to the region’s security. Moreover, the Trump 2.0 administration’s use of the term ‘Asia-Pacific’ rather than ‘Indo-Pacific’ in various official readouts, including the 2025 NSS, suggests a less hawkish approach towards China in favour of greater engagement.[iii] In doing so, the US is sending a direct message—the Indian Ocean is not central to dealing with China.[iv]

Bilateral ties between India and the US remain complicated by US punitive tariffs on Indian exports, restrictive H-1B visa policies, and disagreements over data localisation. The much-anticipated Quad leaders’ summit in India failed to materialise during India’s chairmanship of the grouping. Moreover, the killing of three Indian mariners on a merchant ship off the coast of Iran and Oman by the US Navy and subsequent failure to condemn the death of civilians in a military action against a non-military target (merchant vessel) has further intensified US–India strategic friction.[v]

Are these developments indicative of a steady erosion of US–India strategic trust amid a broader American reset from its Indo-Pacific vision? In such a scenario, how will the future of Quad’s flagship initiatives like the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA 2022), Quad at Sea Observer Mission (2024), Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Coordination (IPMSC 2026) shape, since institutionalising maritime surveillance and securing the maritime lanes of the Indo-Pacific is a core priority of the Quad grouping?

Operational Evolution of IPMDA into IPMSC

At its core, the Quad remains an informal and flexible grouping capable of advancing regional cooperation, balance, and the delivery of public goods in an increasingly uncertain Indo-Pacific region. Recognising this mandate is critical because the functional and practical cooperation between Quad members has continued to evolve and adapt to changing geopolitical realities, beyond leadership summits and grand strategic declarations. The Quad’s evolution into a pragmatic grouping driven by functional cooperation was evident in the 11th Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi. It is not ideological alignment but converging strategic interests that........

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