Australia Hosts Largest Military Exercise: China’s Shadow Looms
Exercise Talisman Sabre, the largest war-fighting drills in Australia’s history, commenced with live-fire exercises featuring the newly acquired HIMARS. The three-week event involves over 35,000 military personnel from 19 nations, including the United States and Australia, with activities also taking place in Papua New Guinea for the first time. Chinese surveillance ships are anticipated to monitor the exercises, as they have done in previous iterations, prompting adjustments in Australia’s operational approach. The exercise began shortly after Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s visit to China, during which he indicated that the surveillance would not be a point of contention.
John Q. Hosedrinker