Grey nomads face competition as army hits the road

Tens of thousands of soldiers have hit Territory roads in readiness for one of Defence’s largest exercises. Read what they will be preparing for.

Grey nomads and their caravans will have company slowing the free flow of Territory traffic on major highways this Dry season.

Also getting in the way will be Australian Defence Force vehicles transiting cross-continent in the lead-up to Exercise Talisman Sabre, which begins later this month.

Motorists in the NT last week were unable to miss the spectacle of dozens of military vehicles on main highways, many of them joining the Stuart Highway from the Barkly Highway where they were heading northwest from Queensland.

Police issued an alert last month that combat support group personnel and assets would be convoying from Brisbane’s RAAF Base Amberley to RAAF Base Curtin in Western Australia until later this week, returning between August 10th and 31st.

ADF on the Stuart Highway on the way to RAAF Base Curtin in WA.

Up to 100 vehicles in the past few weeks have departed RAAF bases at Townsville, Amberley, Williamtown, Richmond and Edinburgh, heading north-north-west into Northern Territory to RAAF Base Tindal and across to RAAF Base Curtin.

Up to four United States Marine Corps F-35C Lightning II aircraft will also transit through RAAF Base Darwin during their departure from Australia in coming days.

The aircraft and personnel are from the USMC 314th Marine Fighter Attack Squadron ‘Black Knights’and have recently completed bilateral training with RAAF F-35A squadrons at RAAF Base Williamtown.

Aircraft will arrive on Tuesday afternoon and depart Wednesday morning.

The 10th iteration of the biennial exercise, Talisman Sabre is the largest bilateral combined training activity between ADF and the United States military.

The 14-day exercise will include large scale logistics, multi-domain firepower demonstrations, land combat, amphibious landings and air operations.

Participating nations include Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, France, United Kingdom, Canada and Germany with the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand attending as observers.

“Highly unlikely” to be weaponry as Talisman Sabre hits NT roads.

The rise of China as a military threat over the past decade has prompted a surge in interest from Pacific countries participating in the battle-simulation exercise.

About 30,000 military personnel will be in Australia for the two-week operation, twice as many as the Covid-hit 2021 Talisman Sabre.

An ADF spokesman said covered cylinders on one of the transport’s was “highly unlikely” to be weaponry.

Talisman Sabre Exercise Director Brigadier Damian Hill said 2023 would be the biggest ever in terms of participation and geography.

Grey Nomads will have company delaying traffic flows on NT roads. pic David Martinelli

“Talisman Sabre 2023 will be the largest ever iteration of the exercise in terms of both geographic span and also partner nation involvement. Considerable planning has gone into a safe and productive exercise for all participants,” he said.

“This year’s exercise will demonstrate our ability to receive large volumes of personnel and equipment into Australia from across the Indo-Pacific and stage, integrate and move them forward into the large exercise area.”

“Talisman Sabre 2023 will be held across a range of Defence and non-Defence training areas across northern Australia and I thank the traditional owners, landowners, state authorities, and key community stakeholders who have helped us develop a safe and productive exercise for all participating nations.”