Beijing’s spy ships warned to stay away from Talisman Sabre exercise

The ADF has warned the Chinese military to abide by international laws ahead of the expected arrival of the country’s spy ships off Queensland to observe the nation’s biggest war games.

Chinese navy vessel Haiwangxing sailing off the north-west shelf of Australia in May 2022. Picture: Defence Department

The Australian Defence Force has warned the Chinese military to abide by international laws ahead of the anticipated arrival of one or more of the country’s spy ships off Queensland to observe the nation’s biggest war games, Exercise Talisman Sabre.

This year’s exercise will include the live firing of a Japanese land-based anti-ship missile in a historic first for the event, and the return of US HiMARS missile launchers that Australia will take delivery of in coming years.

More than 30,000 personnel from 13 nations will join in the two-week exercise, which starts on Saturday, including first-time participant Germany.

Exercise director Brigadier Damian Hill said Chinese military intelligence was expected to closely monitor the training, as it had in previous years, from spy ships lurking just outside Australian territorial waters.

“We’re fully expecting that the Chinese will do exactly what they’ve done in the previous two iterations,” he said.

“We just ask that they, as they have in the past, continue to obey international law. They haven’t interfered with the exercise conduct, and we don’t expect them to do so in 2023.”

China sent two intelligence gathering vessels to observe Talisman Sabre 2021, and one spy ship in 2019.

Brigadier Hill declined to say whether the ADF was already tracking any Chinese vessels heading towards Australia, declaring it was “not my remit”.

This year’s exercise will be held over an expanded area, with activities across Queensland and off the state’s coast, as well as in Western Australia, the Northern Territory and NSW.

Japan’s Self Defence Force, which will have 1300 personnel participating in the exercise, will fire its Type 12 SSM missile at the Beecroft weapons range near Jervis Bay on Sunday.

Brigadier Hill said firing the missile off Australia was “less provocative” for Japan than doing so in its own region, providing a valuable training opportunity for the country’s forces.

South Korea’s army will fire its surface-to-surface K239 Chunmoo during the exercise, while the US Army and US Marines will provide a live demonstration of the county’s HiMARS rocket system for the second time in Australia.

The US Marine Corps launches a missile during Talisman Sabre 2021.

Brigadier Hill said the exercise would simulate “joint forcible entry operations”, including amphibious and parachute insertions and maritime manoeuvres. “It will be what we would call a denied entry, so there will be a fictitious opposing force trying to prevent that occurring.

“But most of the focus is on the mechanics of different nations working out how to operate together should they need to do this together.”

Germany’s Chief of Army ­Alfons Mais said 200 of his personnel would be taking part.