Australia launches largest-ever war games with 35,000 troops, amid Taiwan conflict concerns
11th iteration of Talisman Sabre drills include armed forces from 19 countries, 2 countries attend as observers
FILE PHOTO
ISTANBUL
Australia's largest bilateral military exercise, Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025, officially began Sunday with an opening ceremony aboard the HMAS Adelaide landing dock, according to a statement by the Defense Ministry.
Now in its 11th iteration, Talisman Sabre 2025 is the largest and most advanced warfighting exercise in Australia's history.
Over the next three weeks, more than 35,000 military personnel from Australia and partner nations will deploy across Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia, New South Wales, and Christmas Island. For the first time, activities will also take place in Papua New Guinea.
The exercise includes forces from the US, Canada, Fiji, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Tonga, and the UK, with Malaysia and Vietnam attending as observers.
The event will feature live-fire exercises, field training, amphibious landings, ground force maneuvers, and air and maritime operations, along with new Australian military capabilities such as the UH-60M Black Hawks and Precision Strike Missiles.
Separately, Australian Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy said on Sunday that Canberra will not commit troops in advance to any conflict, according to SBS News.
"The decision to commit Australian troops to a conflict will be made by the government of the day, not in advance but by the government of the day."
His comments came after a Saturday report from The Financial Times, which said US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby had been pressing Australian and Japanese defense officials about their plans in the event of a Taiwan conflict.
Colby wrote on X that the Department of Defense is carrying out President Donald Trump’s "America First" strategy, which focuses on reestablishing deterrence and encourages allies to increase defense spending and contribute more to collective security efforts.
China views Taiwan as a breakaway province. Taiwan rejects that claim and insists on maintaining its de facto independence.
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