Talisman Saber 2025: Generating Thunder Down Under

The ongoing Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 (TS25) is the largest exercise conducted in Australia. Talisman Sabre is bilaterally designed between Australia and the US, and is a multilaterally planned and conducted exercise. Nineteen nations were invited to participate in this iteration. This TS25 quick look highlights some of the event’s key S&T milestones through early this 22 July.

The TS25 scenario is putting individual, unit and staff training audiences through their paces in a multi-domain mission construct: air, land, maritime, space, and cyberspace. Within the warfare domains, the go-it-alone national military lines are again blurring, with joint and combined training being elevated to higher levels. And further within the scenarios, training “firsts” are occurring with nations’ operating new weapons systems and other materiel for the first time.

Early in TS25, forces from Australia, Singapore and the US completed the first HIMARS international firing-training event and the initial firing of HIMARS on Australian soil. But not before F-35Bs struck and neutralized “enemy” air defenses. And UAS play – absolutely, with Australian platforms and other providing vital ISR and other data to the weapons operators.

At sea, HMS Prince of Wales,with embarked F-35Bs and other aircraft, is leading the UK Carrier Strike Group. The strike group may be ready for a port visit after the exercise with its flagship and other assets interoperating with US F-35Bs and other nations’ services and weapons platforms in numerous missions.

Still at sea, but closer inshore, allies completed amphibious events in the context they will campaign in the Indo-Pacific theatre of operations. Australian Amphibious Force completed significant Force Integration Training and Wet and Dry Environmental Rehearsals on Cowley Beach in North Queensland with their counterparts from the Republic of Korea Navy and Marines, the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, the French Armed Forces and the US Marines Corps. New Zealand Army members were embedded in the event.

Eyes on TS25

MS&T will continue following and commenting on the S&T aspects of TS25. We look forward to you following us during this event.