The Diplomat
“A minilateral grouping comprising Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States, the Squad was formed in May 2024 to push back against China’s growing maritime power and increasing assertiveness in Asia. It emerged out of a meeting of the defense chiefs of the four countries on the sidelines of the Shangri-La security dialogue in Singapore in 2023.”
“India’s support for Southeast Asian claimant states goes beyond rhetoric. In May 2023, for the first time, India sent warships to the South China Sea as part of its maiden maritime exercise with the navies of the ASEAN countries. Again in 2024, Indian Navy ships participated in an operational deployment to the South China Sea, which included port calls at Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Brunei.”
https://thediplomat.com/2025/03/will-india-join-the-squad/