Largest-ever war-fighting drills in Australia, Exercise Talisman Sabre

15 Jul 2025 GS 2 Defence

Click to view full image

Australia Hosts Largest-Ever Talisman Sabre Drills Amid Likely Chinese Surveillance

Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025, Australia’s largest war-fighting drill to date, is currently underway, involving over 35,000 military personnel from 19 countries, including India, the U.S., U.K., Japan, and others.
The live-fire exercise, held in Shoalwater Bay, Queensland, featured launches from ( U.S.-made M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems), newly acquired by Australia.
Originally a U.S.-Australia bilateral drill since 2005, it has now expanded significantly in scale and scope.
For the first time, exercises are also being conducted in Papua New Guinea, Australia’s closest neighbour.
China is expected to monitor the drills, as it has during the past four editions, using spy ships. Australia's Defence Industry Minister confirmed anticipation of such surveillance.

The drills reflect growing multilateral military cooperation in the Indo-Pacific amid rising geopolitical tensions.