Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025: US Airborne Division paratroopers take Charters Towers
A spectacular night-time air drop involving 335 US paratroopers dropped into tiny NQ town in a daring night-time raid. See the video, picture gallery>>
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A spectacular night-time air raid involving 335 US paratroopers dropped into Charters Towers overnight Tuesday, proving that allied military forces can deploy globally and seize key terrain within 24 hours.
German and French paratroopers jumped alongside their US allies, one of the first major actions of Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 in North Queensland.
Colonel Brian Weightman, commander of the 2nd Brigade, 11th Airborne Division, said: “We own the night.”
“Our ability to fly halfway around the world, communicate in real time and drop combat-ready troops and equipment into an area should serve as a reminder to any potential adversary.”
The 11th Airborne’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team, flew more than 10,000 kilometres from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska aboard six C-17 Globemasters to execute a Joint Forcible Entry Operation.
JFEOs are large-scale missions that see Army and Air Force units working together to drop troops into contested areas and secure key terrain for follow-on forces.
In addition to the paratroopers, the operation also airdropped 10 Humvees, command and control vehicles and mortar systems with transport vehicles.
Five German personnel from 26 Paratrooper Regiment and 10 medics supported the operation, along with 15 staff members responsible for coordination.
First Lieutenant Marcel with the German Joint Visitor Bureau, said the exercise was a “rare opportunity for German forces to train in Australia and a valuable experience in operating in a new environment”.
He said the key challenges included navigating long-distance deployments and learning new logistics systems on the ground.
“In Europe everything is a lot smaller; here it was about getting to know who the point of contact was and how the logistics work.”
Thirty-six French paratroopers from New Caledonia involved in the airborne operation was first time French paratroopers jumped in Australia.
French airborne officer Captain Marvin said: “We stood up, hooked up, checked our equipment and exited the aircraft together.”
“That’s how a strong alliance works.”
The Australian Defence Force played a crucial role behind the scenes, providing safety support, medical coverage and preparing the drop zone on a remote cattle station near Charters Towers.
The 480-hectare drop zone bordered a five-kilometre lake, requiring ADF water safety teams to be on standby in case of parachute overshoots.
Following the drop, the multinational force began seizing training objectives and airfields before handing control to Australia’s 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, as part of a broader joint operation set to continue with a second parachute insertion at Shoalwater Bay.
Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 will involve more than 30,000 military personnel from 19 nations, with activities taking place across Australia and Papua New Guinea.
Charters Towers Mayor Liz Schmidt on Friday urged residents to “remain aware but not alarmed”
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Originally published as Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025: US Airborne Division paratroopers take Charters Towers
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