Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 Opens in Australia

18 Juli 2025

A Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler fly beside a United States Air Force KC-135 tanker as it refuels a RC-135W over the Northern Territory during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 (photo: Aus DoD)

Australia’s largest bilateral military exercise, Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025, officially commences on July 13, 2025 following an opening ceremony on board HMAS Adelaide.   

Chief of Joint Operations, Vice Admiral Justin Jones, will join United States Deputy Commanding General of U.S. Army Pacific, Lieutenant General Joel B. Vowell, for the official opening at Garden Island, Sydney.

Now in its 11th iteration, Talisman Sabre 2025 is the largest and most sophisticated warfighting exercise ever conducted in Australia.

Over the next three weeks, more than 35,000 military personnel from Australia and partnering nations will deploy across Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia, New South Wales and Christmas Island. For the first time, activities will also be conducted outside of Australia in Papua New Guinea. 

Royal Air Force and United States Marine Corps F-35B Lightning IIs and a EA-18G Growler fly along with a Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail over the Northern Territory airspace during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 (photo: Aus DoD)

In addition to the United States, forces from 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 will join as partners. 

Malaysia and Vietnam will also attend as observers.

This year’s exercise will consist of live-fire exercises and field training activities, incorporating force preparation activities, amphibious landings, ground force manoeuvres, and air combat and maritime operations.

It will also feature a range of new Australian Defence Force capabilities, including UH-60M Black Hawks and the Precision Strike Missile.

United States Marine Corps, Australian Army and Singapore Armed Forces artillery batteries fire their respective High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) during a live-fire training activity at Shoalwater Bay training area during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 (photo: US DoD)

Quotes attributable to Chief of Joint Operations, Vice Admiral Justin Jones:

“Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 unites more than 35,000 military personnel from 19 nations, and provides an unrivalled opportunity to train together across the sea, land, air, space and cyber domains.

“Exercise Talisman Sabre remains a powerful demonstration of Australia’s enduring commitment to strengthening relationships between trusted allies and partners, in support of a peaceful, stable and sovereign Indo-Pacific.

“Defence appreciates the support of the community for our essential training, throughout planning to execution we have been conducting site surveys and meetings with state authorities, traditional owners and key stakeholders to inform a safe and productive exercise for all participating nations.”

Republic of Korea Marines fire the K9A2 self propelled Howitzer and K1 Main Battle Tank during a fire power demonstration at Shoalwater Bay Training Area during Talisman Sabre 2025 (photo: AUs DoD)

Quotes attributable to Lieutenant General Joel B. Vowell, Deputy Commanding General U.S. Army Pacific:

“Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 is a powerful demonstration of our combined strength, trust, interoperability, and readiness across the Indo-Pacific. As part of the Combined Joint Force, we train diligently and realistically to integrate capabilities across land, sea, air, cyber, and space domains, operating alongside our allies and partners from 19 nations.

“Exercises like Talisman Sabre allow us to employ war winning capabilities, operate in critical locations, signal our multinational resolve, and galvanize our collective will. This is how we generate deterrence and work towards our ultimate goal: no war.

“Together, we are building tactical trust, practicing our operational maneuvers, and reaffirming our strategic commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

(Aus DoD)

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