Jets, ships, trucks: What Territorians can expect from Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025

Territorians will be treated to jets, ships, trucks and more from mid-July when the Australian Defence Force kick off its 11th and largest Talisman Sabre military exercise. Read the full details.

The U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), steams in formation with the Royal Australian Navy ship HMAS Perth (FFH 157), as well as the Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS North Carolina (SSN 777) and Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers USS Robert Smalls (CG 62) and USS Antietam (CG 54), during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2023.

Territorians will be treated to jets, ships, trucks and more from mid-July when the Australian Defence Force kicks off its 11th and largest Talisman Sabre military exercise, says exercise director Brigadier Damien Hill.

Close to 40,000 military personnel from 19 nations are set to participate in the war games across Australia and, for the first time, in Papua New Guinea.

Talisman Sabre, scheduled from July 13 to August 4, is the largest bilateral combined training activity between the ADF and the United States military.

The activities will take place across the nation, including Queensland, Western Australia, the Northern Territory, New South Wales, and on Christmas Island.

Australian Army officer Brigadier Damian Hill, AM, pictured in September, 2022. Brigadier Hill was the Exercise Director for Exercise Talisman 2023 and Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025: Picture: CPL John Solomon/Australian Defence Force

Mr Hill, whose remarks came during a Mix104.9 radio broadcast, said it was “difficult” to say what Territorians could expect from the exercise because there was so much on offer.

“If you’re an aircraft spotter … you’re going to see F-35s, F-18 Super Hornets, C-17s and C-130s,” he said.

There would also be “half a dozen” F-35s from Norway, Mr Hill said, that would join the event for the first time.

He said there would be a number of ships coming from the UK, Canada, Norway and the US.

“We’re really fortunate to host His Majesty’s ship, the Prince of Wales, and the UK Carrier Strike Group, which is on its maiden voyage and the first time it has been into the Indo-Pacific.

A Royal Australian Air Force F-35A Lightning ll during pre-flight checks at RAAF Base Curtin, Western Australia, during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2023.

“So they’ll come into Darwin at the back end of the exercise, and I think for most Territorians and visitors it will be exciting to see something different such as a United Kingdom carrier.”

Mr Hill said there would be an opportunity for truck-lovers to see “every truck the [ADF] owns in some way, shape or form in the community”, as well as some other activities.

“Importantly we’re practising some tasks to defend critical assets,” he said.

“So our reserve units that we call the Security Task Force will be in the community patrolling and practising doing the types of tasks that we might expect of them in times of uncertainty.”

Originally published as Jets, ships, trucks: What Territorians can expect from Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025