Arming the Quad: United States Foreign Military Sales to Australia, Japan, and India, from the Quad’s founding to AUKUS, 2004-2021

Arming the Quad examines United States Security Cooperation via Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) partners - Australia, Japan, and India - amidst the U.S.-China strategic competition. In addition to the U.S., the Quad represents two long-standing U.S. allies (Australia and Japan) and a declared Major Defense Partner (India) . Through a historical study, this research begins at the Quad's founding (December 2004) , continuing to the establishment of the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the U.S., known as AUKUS - a significant milestone for U.S. arms sales in the Indo-Pacific (September 2021) . This research finds that, in response to China's expanded influence and rapid militarization, the U.S. adopted an Indo-Pacific strategy that increased interoperability via Security Cooperation with allies and partners, namely the Quad.