Australia’s biggest and most advanced bilateral military drill, Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025, has officially commenced with a ceremonial launch aboard HMAS Adelaide at Garden Island, Sydney.
The opening was led by Chief of Joint Operations, Vice Admiral Justin Jones, alongside Lieutenant General Joel B. Vowell, Commanding General of the U.S. Army Pacific.
Vice Admiral Jones highlighted the exercise’s strategic value:
“Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 unites more than 35,000 military personnel from 19 nations and provides an unrivalled opportunity to train together across multiple domains. It demonstrates Australia’s enduring commitment to strengthening ties with trusted allies in support of a peaceful and stable Indo-Pacific.”
He also acknowledged the role of local communities:
“Throughout the planning and execution, we’ve engaged with state authorities, traditional owners and stakeholders to ensure the exercise is safe, respectful, and productive for all involved.”
Now in its 11th iteration, Talisman Sabre 2025 brings together more than 35,000 military personnel from 19 partner nations, making it the largest and most sophisticated warfighting exercise Australia has ever hosted.
Over the next three weeks, exercises will span across Queensland, the Northern Territory, Western Australia, New South Wales, and Christmas Island — with activities also extending beyond Australian shores for the first time, into Papua New Guinea.
Participating nations include the United States, Canada, Fiji, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Tonga, and the United Kingdom. Malaysia and Vietnam are attending as observers.
The exercise will include live-fire drills, amphibious landings, air combat simulations, maritime operations, and coordinated movements across land, sea, air, space, and cyber domains. It also showcases new Australian Defence Force capabilities, such as UH-60M Black Hawks and the long-range Precision Strike Missile.
Lieutenant General Vowell echoed the importance of unity and deterrence:
“This is a powerful demonstration of our combined strength, trust, and readiness. Talisman Sabre enables us to practice warfighting skills, integrate multinational capabilities, and reaffirm our shared goal: no war — through strength and preparation.”
Talisman Sabre 2025 continues through late July, reaffirming Australia’s growing role in regional defence cooperation and strategic deterrence.
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