Australia's largest bilateral military exercise, Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025, has officially commenced. The opening ceremony took place on board HMAS Adelaide with Chief of Joint Operations, Vice Admiral Justin Jones, and United States Deputy Commanding General of U.S. Army Pacific, Lieutenant General Joel B. Vowell attending the event at Garden Island in Sydney.
This is the 11th iteration of Talisman Sabre and is noted as the most sophisticated warfighting exercise conducted in Australia. Over the next three weeks, more than 35,000 military personnel from Australia and partner nations will be deployed across various locations including Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia, New South Wales, Christmas Island, and for the first time outside Australia in Papua New Guinea.
The participating countries include Canada, Fiji, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore Thailand Tonga and United Kingdom with Malaysia and Vietnam attending as observers.
The exercise involves live-fire exercises and field training activities such as force preparation activities amphibious landings ground force maneuvers air combat and maritime operations. It also showcases new Australian Defence Force capabilities like UH-60M Black Hawks and Precision Strike Missiles.
Vice Admiral Justin Jones stated: “Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 unites more than 35 000 military personnel from 19 nations and provides an unrivalled opportunity to train together across sea land air space and cyber domains.” He added that it demonstrates Australia's commitment to strengthening relationships between allies for a peaceful Indo-Pacific region while appreciating community support during planning execution site surveys meetings state authorities traditional owners key stakeholders safe productive exercise participating nations.”
Lieutenant General Joel B Vowell emphasized: “Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 is a powerful demonstration combined strength trust interoperability readiness Indo-Pacific part Combined Joint Force train diligently realistically integrate capabilities land sea air cyber space domains operating alongside allies partners from 19 nations.” He mentioned that exercises like these allow employment war-winning capabilities critical locations signal multinational resolve galvanize collective will generate deterrence work towards ultimate goal no war building tactical trust practicing operational maneuvers reaffirming strategic commitment free open Indo-Pacific.”