USS Ronald Reagan to head north for Talisman Sabre exercise
A Chinese surveillance warship has been located in international waters, believed to be heading for the Queensland coast ahead of Exercise Talisman Sabre.
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A CHINESE surveillance warship has been located in international waters, believed to be heading for the Queensland coast ahead of Exercise Talisman Sabre.
The ship, which was believed to be passing through waters near PNG on Saturday, is thought to be heading down the east coast of Australia to monitor the war games between defence allies, Australia and the United States.
Addressing concerns about the Chinese spy ship at yesterday’s official 2019 Talisman Sabre opening ceremony, Australian Defence Force’s chief of joint operations, Lieutenant General Greg Bilton said the imminent arrival of the Chinese surveillance ship was predicted.
“In regards to the AGI (auxiliary general intelligence), we believe there is one north of Australia at the moment,” he said.
“We’re tracking it. We don’t know yet what its destination is but we’re assuming it will come down to the east coast of Queensland and we’ll take appropriate measures in regards to that. It is international waters and they have the right to sail there.”
With a combined military strength of over 35,000 personnel from Australia, the US, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the UK participating in this year’s Talisman Sabre Exercise, the Chinese warship poses a minimal immediate threat.
This year is the first time since Talisman Sabre’s 2005 inception that delegations from India and the Republic of Korea have been invited to observe the exercise, which will take place in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area and surrounding state forests near Rockhampton over coming weeks.
The official opening of Exercise Talisman Sabre 2019 launched today with a joint ceremony showcasing the strength and unity of the Australian and American Defence.
The ceremony, held on the USS Ronald Reagan at the Port of Brisbane, was the formal launch to Australia’s largest bilateral exercise with the United States.
Addressing the combined crowd of armed forces from both countries, lieutenant general Gregory Bilton of the Australian Defence Force highlighted the importance of the long standing allies.
“(Talisman Sabre is) a monumental undertaking reflecting the strength of the United States and Australian alliance,” Lieutenant Bilton said.
“The heart of Talisman Sabre is people and partnerships. We’ll hold bonds that serve as military partnerships with our US counterparts.”
Carrying around 70 aircraft, the USS Ronald Reagan demonstrates the most advanced warfare technologies and costs around $1 million daily to operate.
The ship carries 4500 personnel and has a Starbucks, Mimi-Mart and post office onboard.
The aircraft carrier will travel up the north coast in the coming days, where the allies will take part in high-intensity exercises off the coast of Rockhampton.
IN PICTURES: USS RONALD REAGAN
The training will include simulated warfare situations to prepare the allies for the event of war.
Major general Ronald Clark of the United States’ General 25th Infantry Division said the exercise is crucial to the safety of both countries.
“It’s paramount to the US and our allies that our forces are engaged, relevant and ready,” he said.
“This exercise is central to our two nations’ national security.”
Originally published as USS Ronald Reagan to head north for Talisman Sabre exercise
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