India is set to invite Australia to join the annual Malabar naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal later this year after New Delhi first consults with the United States and Japan, the Hindustan Times reported July 10. Australia’s defense department indicated that it would most likely accept India’s invitation in order to advance the collective interests of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (also known as the Quad), which consists of India, Australia, Japan and the United States. Why It Matters: India’s planned invitation and Australia’s likely acceptance would signal ever-deepening cooperation between members of the Quad, and would mark the first joint military exercise involving all members since 2007. Naval exercises are certain to upset China, which views the Quad as a containment strategy to its own interests in the Indo-Pacific region, and is likely to further stir up tensions between it and the other Quad members.