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Exercise Talisman Sabre 2019 has officially been brought to a close at a ceremony in the Port of Brisbane, marking the conclusion of Australia’s biggest bilateral defence exercise with the US.
Over 1,000 personnel were onboard the USS Wasp as the exercise was formally closed.
Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds said Talisman Sabre was a major success, increasing interoperability between the Australian and US defence forces, and strengthening ties with other participating nations.
“This premier military engagement reflects the strength of the Australia-US alliance and the closeness of our military-to-military relationship,” Minister Reynolds said.
“This was the biggest exercise to date, encompassing over 34,000 personnel, 22 ships and over 200 aircraft.”
Personnel from the US and Australia participated in warfighting scenarios at sea, on land and in the air against a fictitious enemy, as technologically capable as themselves.
Force elements from Japan, Canada, UK and New Zealand also participated.
Major General Roger Noble, Deputy Chief of Joint Operations, joined Exercise Director, Commodore Allison Norris, and United States Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 7 and Commander Amphibious Force, US Seventh Fleet, Rear Admiral Fred Kacher, at the closing ceremony.
“In addition to the objectives and missions completed throughout the exercise, it has been invaluable to share and exchange different ways of working alongside our biggest defence ally,” MAJGEN Noble said.
CDRE Norris said Talisman Sabre was a monumental undertaking, where Australia's forces trained alongside their closest partners under demanding conditions, to test interoperability and integration, and modernise the country's operational concepts.
“The United States shares a long history with Australia of working, fighting and sacrificing together across the globe and the world is better for it,” Commodore Norris said.
Minister Reynolds thanked the Queensland community including landowners, traditional owners and local governments.
Scroll through the photo gallery above for some of the best pictures from the largest ever iteration of Exercise Talisman Sabre.
