COVID isolation tents to be set up in the bush in case any of 17,000 service members fall ill

No US sailors or marines will be allowed off their ship, while isolation tents will be set up in the field in case any Australian or foreign service member falls ill with Covid-19 as Talisman Sabre 2021 ramps up.

Isolation tents will be set up in the bush and all other areas where defence personnel involved with the nation’s largest bilateral military exercise are training as a precaution should anyone come down with flu or Covid-like symptoms.

Air Commodore Stuart Bellingham, the Talisman Sabre 2021 (TS21), exercise director, said the Australian Defence Force (ADF) had gone to great lengths to ensure all the state and territory health guidelines had been followed in preparation for 17,000 Australian and foreign service members arriving in Queensland for the ninth iteration of TS21, the country’s largest biennial, bilateral training exercise with the US.

“The key issue with the Covid-19 pandemic for defence has been to ensure public safety and the safety of the participants in the exercise,” he said.

“We have worked really closely with Commonwealth, state and territory governments.”

Air Commodore Stuart Bellingham is seen in this still from a video. Picture: @TalismanSabre/Instagram

The peak of the mock war-games are scheduled to take place in the Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area in Byfield, north of Rockhampton, as well as further north in Townsville and off the east coast of Australia between July 14-August 1, with smaller components anticipated to extend from Weipa to the Whitsundays and down to Evans Head in NSW.

Air Commodore Bellingham, 53, from Headquarters Joint Operation Command (HQJOC) in Canberra, said Covid-safe plans had been established, including having an isolation room available anywhere the servicemen and women are training.

“Should someone present with flu-like symptoms, or should an aircraft have an unplanned emergency and have to divert into a location we’re not expecting, they would immediately go into isolation,” he said.

“They would be tested for Covid and stay in isolation until we get the result for the Covid test, just like anyone else in the public.”

A USAF C-5 Galaxy landed in Townsville on Wednesday carrying two Chinook helicopters for the 5th Aviation Regiment. Picture: Defence Media

He said if a positive Covid test was returned, plans were already in place to work with local authorities to transfer the patient to isolation at the nearest hospital or medical centre.

“If you’re in the field, it’s a tent. If you’re at (Townsville’s) Lavarack Barracks, there’s a medical facility there,” he said.

During Talisman Sabre 2019, more than 30 soldiers in one fortnight were treated for flu-like symptoms at a deployable field hospital set up in the middle of the Shoalwater Bay Military Training area, with half of them confirmed to have influenza at the time.

Air Commodore Bellingham said this year about 1810 service men and women from the US, the UK, Canada, New Zealand, Japan and the Republic of Korea had already undergone Covid testing and completed a mandatory fortnight of quarantine or were still in quarantine now.

The last group of about 220 US personnel started their 14 days of quarantine yesterday, he said.

Special operations members from the United States Army, United States Navy, United States Air Force, Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and Australian Federal Police Crime Scene Investigators trained together during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2019 developing interoperability while conducting special forces missions throughout North Queensland. Part of the exercise took place at the Townsville Field Training Area. Picture: Supplied

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) officer said although the aim of TS21 was to strengthen Australia’s alliance with the US, this year there would also be 130 service personnel from the UK as well as from Canada, Japan, New Zealand and, for the first time, the Republic of Korea.

Though most from those nations will be remaining on ships, all of the UK servicemembers, 33 members of the Japanese Self Defense Force, 13 from Canada and 10 each respectively from New Zealand and The Republic of Korea have completed quarantine.

“The USS America will be at the centre of the expeditionary strike group,” he said.

“There will also be a destroyer from Japan and Korea, a frigate from Canada and the Australian maritime component.

“The HMAS Canberra, Choules, an air warfare destroyer and three ANZAC class frigates will also be involved in the exercise, as well as minehunters and submarines.”

RAAF Air Commodore Stuart Bellingham – then a Group Captain – talking to members of the Japanese Self Defense Force in 2017. Picture: Cpl Nicci Freeman/Department of Defence

But, Air Commodore Bellingham said, because of the strict Covid restrictions, none of the foreign ship personnel would be allowed to come ashore during this year’s mock war-games which usually culminate in a ship to shore beach landing.

“From the US expeditionary strike group there’ll be no actual landing on Australian soil but embedded with the Australian amphibious forces we have the (US) Marine rotational force in from Darwin, who have already gone through quarantine,” he said.

“A UK component has also gone through quarantine and a Japanese Defense force element also gone through quarantine and will be coming off Australian ships.”

A Royal Australian Navy submarine, the HMAS Collins, was spotted docked in Brisbane on Thursday.

The submarine HMAS Collins is seen docked at Pinkenba on Thursday. Picture: Alistair Bulmer

The Iraq war veteran said some of the foreign ships would be allowed to pull alongside a port in Gladstone, Townsville or Brisbane to obtain supplies but any visit would be contactless, with no one allowed to disembark.

Air Commodore Bellingham, who was also involved in the search for Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 in 2014, said there would be two fictitious forces, or sides, during TS21 aiming to conduct high end maritime, land and air warfare to test the combat readiness of the Australian and US militaries.

He said it the participation of The Republic of Korea for the first time was a welcome addition, with Japan taking part for the second time.

“It’s great to have them on board,” he said.

“This year we also have France, India, Indonesia and Germany as the observers.”

A RAAF KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) spotted at the Brisbane airport on Wednesday. It was likely preparing to head to Exercise Talisman Sabre 2021. The MRTT is modified Airbus A330 airliner. Picture: Alistair Bulmer

The joint training exercise is operating on a reduced scale because of the pandemic, with the 17,000 participants down from the more than 34,000 involved in Talisman Sabre 2019, making it the largest ever exercise to hit Queensland’s shores.

The initial Talisman Sabre in 2005 involved 17,500 Americans and Australians with 27,500 personnel involved in the 2007 exercise.

A Chinese spy ship was spotted off Queensland’s coast observing TS19, but Air Commodore Bellingham said he was not yet aware if any of that nation’s military had been spotted offshore this year.

TS21 will consist of a field training exercise incorporating force preparation – or logistics – amphibious landings, ground force manoeuvre, urban operations, air combat and maritime operations.