The chief of the Indian Navy has specifically emphasised the "uncertainty of America" as the reason behind India’s reservations against having a military dimension applied to the proposed Quad alliance between the United States, India, Japan and Australia

New Delhi — Signalling major mistrust among members of the proposed alliance between the United States, India, Japan and Australia, namely the Quad, the chief of the Indian Navy, Sunil Lanba, has categorically stated that the alliance will not have a military dimension and will stick to safe and secure economic co-operation in due course as well. Admiral Sunil Lanba, who is also India's senior-most military commander, said India has an unresolved border with China and that there are several reasons to not apply a military dimension to the Quad.

"There are dependencies of the nations involved in the Quad like Australian dependency on China for their economic well-being. The uncertainty of America when push comes to shove. So, I do not think there is a need for a military dimension to the Quad," Admiral Lanba said at a function organised by a think tank in New Delhi.

"We are the only navy which has an open invitation to visit Vietnam and we have been doing this annually. Ships have been docking into Vietnam and ships have also gone onto Cameron Bay. I had the privilege to visit Vietnam last year and I was the first naval chief who was given access to the Vietnamese part of the naval harbor at Cameron naval bay," Lanba added.

The first meeting of the proposed Quad took place last November in Manila where diplomats from India, the US, Japan and Australia met after a long hiatus. The Quad alliance was first mooted in 2007 by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.