On the 4th of August, the 11th iteration of Exercise Talisman Sabre will officially conclude at a closing ceremony in Lae, Papua New Guinea.
Following three weeks of intensive training and high-end warfighting scenarios across Australia, and complex training exercises in Papua New Guinea, more than 40,000 military personnel from 19 participating nations and two observer nations will return home.
Talisman Sabre is the largest bilateral combined training activity conducted between the Australian Defence Force and the United States Armed Forces. It reflects the strength of the enduring Alliance and our commitment to working with regional partners.
The final activity of Talisman Sabre 2025 saw personnel from Australia, the United States and Papua New Guinea’s defence forces come together to conduct a Joint Personnel Recovery activity across several training locations between Lae and Wewak in Papua New Guinea.
This successfully demonstrated how our three nations can work together to safely recover our people.
Marking the first time an Exercise Talisman Sabre component has been held outside Australia, this activity is a powerful demonstration of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force’s capabilities, and Australia and the United States’ growing interoperability with Pacific partners.
Further highlights of Talisman Sabre in Australia include:
- The first live firing of the Australian M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), including using the Precision Strike Missile.
- A successful land to sea engagement of the United States Mid-Range Capability (MRC) using an SM-6 missile against a maritime target.
- Participation of the United Kingdom-led Carrier Strike Group, representing the first time a non-US aircraft carrier has been involved in Talisman Sabre.
- A long-distance Joint Force Entry Operation that deployed 335 United States Army paratroopers from the 11th Airborne Division from Alaska to Charters Towers alongside French and German paratroopers.
- Large-scale amphibious operations involving forces from Australia, France, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Conducted biennially since 2005, Exercise Talisman Sabre is a major undertaking for all participating nations and demonstrates our combined capability to achieve large-scale operational outcomes.
