At the end of July 2025, Australia hosted the Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 in the South Pacific. This biennial drill between Australia and the United States was the largest of its kind to date, with the participation of 19 countries - a significant military event in the region. What is the context and objectives of Talisman Sabre, and what message does the Talisman Sabre 2025 exercise convey? The following provides a detailed explanation.

Context and objectives of exercise Talisman Sabre
Following the end of the Second World War, defence and security cooperation between Australia and the United States was formed, developed and gradually reinforced by the 1951 ANZUS Treaty (Australia, New Zealand, United States). To further strengthen their strategic defence ties in a rapidly changing regional and global environment, both nations agreed to conduct a biennial joint military exercise under the name Talisman Sabre.

The key goal of Talisman Sabre is to improve operational interoperability and reinforce the strategic alliance between Australia and the United States. First launched in 2005, the exercise reflected the practical need to prepare their armed forces for joint missions – whether combat or humanitarian – under the assumption that future conflicts or emergencies would require continuous, effective cooperation. Many analysts view this regular Talisman Sabre as proof of the alliance’s resilience and deepening strategic cooperation alliance between the two countries.

High mobility artillery rocket system deployed in the exercise

From 2005 to 2015, the Talisman Sabre was primarily held by Australia and the United States. The exercise was expanded after 2017 to include other countries as participants or observers, including Japan, South Korea, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Indonesia, New Zealand, and the Philippines. Designed as a simulation of modern warfare, Talisman Sabre covers joint operations across services (navy, air force, army, marines), large-scale logistics, amphibious and territorial defence, responses to non-traditional security threats; joint combat training in multiple combat environments (on land, at sea, in the air and in cyberspace); testing the ability to rapidly deploy high-tech forces and weapons.

Surrounded by the Indian and Pacific Oceans, Australia is isolated from other continents, far from economic and political centres and hot spots in the world, so this country hardly faces any threats to defence and security. However, all of Australia's activities towards the region and the world are completely dependent on air and sea routes. This leaves it highly sensitive to shifts in the Indo-Pacific. In recent years, intensifying great-power rivalry in the Asia - Pacific region and complex non-traditional security challenges have increasingly threatened Australia’s security and national interests.

To effectively respond to the rapid changes in the strategic environment, Australia has adjusted its defence and security strategy; strengthening defence cooperation with allies and partners in the fields of military, science, technology and defence industry, etc; strengthening the trilateral (AUKUS) and quadrilateral (QUAD) frameworks; actively participating in joint exercises with allies and partners as well as dialogue and security cooperation mechanisms in the region, to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific. In particular, Australia identifies the alliance with the United States as the core foundation of its defence and security policy, so the joint Talisman Sabre exercise with the United States is seen as a symbol of the increasingly expanding defence and security commitment between the two countries.

Messages from Talisman Sabre 2025

Compared with previous exercises, Talisman Sabre 2025 expanded both in scale and scope, involving larger forces and more advanced assets from a wider range of nations. While the Talisman Sabre exercise in August 2021 involved more than 17,000 personnel; the 2023 exercise involved more than 30,000, the 2025 exercise (taking place from 13 July to 4 August 2025) involved nearly 40,000 personnel from 19 countries, including Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Fiji, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, and Tonga. Vietnam and Malaysia participated as observers. According to Lieutenant General Joel B. Vowell, Deputy Commanding General of the US Army Pacific, the increase and level of participation is a signal that regional stability and security matter to all. He also underlined that such collective readiness, the signal of what we are doing ahead, creates what people have to infer and interpret as a deterrent effect; the number of participants shows our commitment in the region to work together.

The HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrrier of the British Royal Navy in the exercise

Talisman Sabre 2025 is the largest exercise ever, taking place on both Australian and Papua New Guinea territory, marking the first time that Talisman Sabre activities have been held outside Australia. During this Talisman Sabre, the armed forces of the participating countries conducted live fire, field training, combined force preparation activities, amphibious landings, land, air and sea exercises. During this exercise, Australia introduced a series of new defence capabilities, notably the use of UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters and firing of the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), using Precision Strike missiles (PrSM); test-firing of the medium-range missile systems (MRC) targeting sea-based objectives.

The United States, for its part, deployed the Dark Eagle hypersonic missile, also known as the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), with a speed of over Mach 5 and a range of nearly 3,000 km, to participate in the exercise, marking its first deployment overseas. Although not confirmed to have been test-fired, the inclusion of this type of missile in the exercise has demonstrated the US Army's ability to rapidly relocate, establish, and operate advanced weapons in distant theatres. This is also a clear warning, a "cold" message to potential US opponents in the Indo-Pacific. Talisman Sabre 2025 also marked the first participation of the United Kingdom’s Carrier Strike Group, while Japan’s Ground Self-Defence Force conducted live-fire training with Australia’s Defence Force using Type 12 anti-ship missiles.

According to international military analysts, Talisman Sabre 2025 was not merely a tactical drill but a vital platform for bolstering defence capabilities, enhancing combat readiness, reinforcing interoperability, and strengthening alliances to address potential security contingencies in the Indo-Pacific. Joint training enabled participating forces to better understand one another’s systems, procedures, and operational doctrines, thereby improving their ability to coordinate and operate effectively in actual operations. Moreover, Talisman Sabre 2025, with a training phase in Papua New Guinea, marked a milestone in the defence relationship among Australia, the United States and Pacific partners.

Experts stressed that the successful conduct of Talisman Sabre 2025 delivered a clear and unmistakable message: allied and partner nations are able to mobilise and deploy rapidly, cooperate effectively, and respond decisively. Live-fire exercises and multi-domain operations (across air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace) demonstrated not only political will but also real operational capability to conduct complex missions on a large scale. Vice Admiral Justin Jones, Commander of the exercise, described Talisman Sabre 2025 as powerful evidence of Australia's enduring commitment to strengthening relationships with trusted allies and partners in pursuit of a peaceful, stable, and sovereign Indo-Pacific. US Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro stressed that the most important message to potential adversaries was that: "nations are ready to act together to protect shared security interests and core values." Colonel Yohei Ito of Japan’s Ground Self-Defence Force observed that today’s global security environment is “both complex and severe”, adding that no single country can unilaterally establish peace and stability. He emphasised that exercises such as Talisman Sabre are increasingly important in fostering cooperation with allies and partners to achieve shared missions. Leaders of several participating nations shared the same comments that this exercise has achieved remarkable milestones: refining joint operations capabilities, integrating advanced technologies and enhancing the seamless conduct of land, air, amphibious and maritime operations.

In addition to marking 20 years of US-Australia defence cooperation, Talisman Sabre 2025 also demonstrates the strategic preparedness of multinational engagement, advanced technological and tactical capabilities of countries in the region; ensuring the firm commitment of Australia, the United States and other partners to maintain the stability of a free and open Indo-Pacific. At the same time, the exercise also sends a strong deterrent signal to any opponent seeking to destabilise the security and peace of the region and the world. Many defence experts expect the Talisman Sabre to grow further in scope and membership, remaining an essential pillar of the evolving regional security architecture.

LUU VAN VINH, M.A.