iscover
A UH-60M Blackhawk from the 6th Aviation Regiment conducts training with a MH-47 Chinook from the United States Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment in Macrossan, QLD as part of Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025. (Defence)
Exercise Talisman Sabre 25 in pictures
0 comment
The 11th iteration of Exercise Talisman Sabre, which took place during the back end of July, was, frankly, enormous. The biggest military exercise ever undertaken in this country, it featured 19 national militaries and 43,000 troops, who simulated realistic war scenarios alongside allies. Fighter jets practised air combat, soldiers fired long-range missiles, and a Black Hawk even attempted to intercept a Sydney ferry on the harbour.
“We’ve had 32 ships, eight of which were amphibious ships, and two carrier strike groups from the UK and US,” said Vice Admiral Justin Jones, chief of joint operations. “We’ve had 297 aircraft participate and 2000 sorties. We’ve moved 32 million kilograms of cargo and over 16,000 military personnel around the country. It is an extensive, tactical field training exercise by nature, over an extraordinary geographic scale;
This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members.
A monthly membership is only $5.99 or save with our annual plans.
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
approximately 5,300 kilometres from Christmas Island, north-west of Australia, through to the southern NSW coast. ”
From an aviation perspective, nearly every aircraft type in the Australian fleet was involved, including the F-35A Lightning II, P-8A Poseidon, and C-17A Globemaster.
III, C-130J Hercules and C-27J Spartan, with air battle management coordinated between 3 Control and Reporting Unit, 114 Mobile Control and Reporting Unit and 2 Squadron’s E-7A Wedgetail.
Air Commodore Louise DesJardins said Talisman Sabre was not just about flying aircraft. “It was about preparing for complex and demanding scenarios, and keeping our highly competent aviators at the top of their game,” she said. “Talisman Sabre gave us a chance to train in a high-end, realistic environment where we tested our skills, teamwork and technology under pressure. We also exercised key airbase operations from austere environments, including air traffic control, medical support, air base command and integrated security protection with the Australian Army, which is essential for Defence’s projection of air power from northern bases. ”
The exercise also provided the ADF with one of its first opportunities to fly its Black Hawks in a warfighting scenario, following the helicopter’s achievement of Initial Operating Capability earlier this year. Australia currently has 12 of a planned final fleet of 40, with delivery accelerated to aid the early retirement of the beleaguered Taipan they’re due to replace.
“Talisman Sabre 2025 has been an enormous success,” concluded Vice Admiral Jones. “It is a powerful symbol to have 19 nations from not only the Indo-Pacific but from across the world, operating together in Australia. These are friends, allies and partners that have a shared vision for the Indo-Pacific. Together we are stronger, together we are prepared.
Want to see more stories from trusted news sources?
Make Australian Aviation a preferred news source on Google.
Click here to add Australian Aviation as a preferred news source.
