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The warships are set to engage in high-end maritime warfare exercises after rendezvousing with US, Japanese and South Korean vessels at Sydney’s Garden Island.
Royal Australian Navy destroyer HMAS Brisbane and Collins Class submarine HMAS Rankin are set to engage in high-end training serials — including air, surface and sub-surface warfare, missile firings and ship-to-ship communications — as part of Exercise Pacific Vanguard, a multinational exercise in the region.
The RAN ships will be joined by US Navy destroyer USS Rafael Peralta, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer JS Makinami, and the South Korea Navy destroyer Wang Geon.
The task group will be led by South Korea’s Wang Geon.
Exercise Pacific Vanguard, which will take place in Australian waters for the first time, aims to enhance co-operation between the partner nations by putting their interoperability skills to the test.
“Exercise Pacific Vanguard demonstrates Australia’s commitment to working with regional partners to address shared challenges, including our region’s maritime security,” Commanding Officer Brisbane, Commander Aaron Cox said.
“… By continuing to work with like-minded partner forces, Navy contributes to the stability that underpins prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.”
All three foreign destroyers are expected to make a brief contactless port visit to Fleet Base East, Sydney, upon the conclusion of the exercise before participating in Exercise Talisman Sabre.
The vessels will join HMA Ships Brisbane, Ballarat, Canberra, Choules, Melville and Parramatta off the coast of Queensland for the major multinational exercise.
This year’s ninth iteration of Exercise Talisman Sabre is expected to involve a field training exercise incorporating force preparation (logistic) activities, amphibious landings, ground force manoeuvre, urban operations, air combat, and maritime operations.
Other nations joining the exercise include the UK, Canada, and New Zealand, and observer nations France and India.
Exercise Talisman Sabre is scheduled to commence on 14 July 2021 with an opening ceremony at RAAF Base Amberley, and will wrap-up on 31 July 2021.
[Related: International forces to arrive for Exercise Talisman Sabre]
