Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025: A Show of Indo‑Pacific Force
From July 13 to August 4, 2025, Australia is hosting Exercise Talisman Sabre, an expansive military drill involving over 35,000 personnel from 19 participating nations and 3 observers, marking it the largest in the exercise’s 20-year history
Participating Countries & Scope
Major contributors include:
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Traditional partners like the U.S., U.K., Canada, New Zealand, and Australia
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Indo-Pacific allies such as Japan, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga
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Several European nations—France, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, and others
Observer nations: Malaysia, Vietnam, plus a few more
This edition expands geographically—beyond Australia’s Shoalwater Bay and northern territories into Papua New Guinea for the first time
Multi-Domain Warfighting & Firepower Display
The drills cover all domains:
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Land operations: tank maneuvers and infantry exercises
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Air operations: fighter jets, including F-35s, practicing strikes and escort missions
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Sea operations: amphibious landings and maritime patrols by vessels including HMS Prince of Wales, New Zealand’s HMNZS Te Kaha, and others
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Space and cyber domains: integrated mock operations emphasizing network resilience.
A highlight was Australia’s first-ever live HIMARS rocket launch during the drill—demonstrating long-range strike capability, with rockets reaching up to 400 km in range. This adds to the growing Indo-Pacific offensive capacity alongside systems like the Typhon missile
Reserve Forces & Community Role
This year’s drills place emphasis on reserve forces:
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A 1,400-strong task force of Australian reservists and U.S. Coast Guard reservists is active in Darwin and the Top End, overseeing community, waterway, and critical infrastructure defense
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The exercise addresses ADF recruitment weaknesses and leverages reserves’ local knowledge and community ties.
Strategic Message & Deterrence
The exercise is as much a demonstration of interoperability as it is a geopolitical signal:
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U.S. Army Lt Gen. Joel Vowell called it a readiness test and a deterrent: the goal is no war, but clear preparation if needed Australia’s Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy emphasized respect for national sovereignty: Australia will not pre‑commit troops to future conflicts, with decisions made by each government at the time
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The exercises reinforce AUKUS and allied partnerships, showcasing advanced capabilities across conventional and nuclear-aligned platforms
Regional Context & China’s Reaction
China has routinely dispatched surveillance ships to monitor Talisman Sabre since 2017 and is expected to do so this year Australia has pledged to track these vessels and adapt the exercise accordingly.
Australian PM Anthony Albanese is concurrently visiting China—asserting that surveillance is “routine” and not a contentious topic during talks with President Xi