Seventeen ships from the United States, Australia, Canada and Japan sailed together in formation July 10, to signify the beginning of naval maneuvers as part of Exercise Talisman Sabre 2019.
This year’s Talisman Sabre is focused on defending the rights, freedoms, and uses of the sea, air, space and cyberspace guaranteed to all nations under international law and considered essential to prosperity, stability and security in the Indo-Pacific region.
“Interoperability and working alongside allies and partners really is the future, particularly in the Pacific. It’s just too important, too large a region, for us not to reach out and have a great partnership and allies to work with,” said Rear Admiral Fred Kacher, Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 7. “Australia in particular, in a very important part of the world, has been a steadfast and longstanding ally that has worked and served alongside us before. So for us, the fact that we’re going to have the chance to integrate with them… is a tremendous opportunity.”
U.S. naval participation included units from the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group and Wasp Expeditionary Strike Group. The Royal Australian Navy participated with the Canberra-class landing helicopter dock (LHD) lead ship HMAS Canberra (LO2) and Canberra-class landing helicopter dock (LHD) HMAS Adelaide (LO1). Japan also participated in the photo exercise with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Ōsumi-class amphibious transport dock ship JS Kunisaki (LST 4003) and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Hyūga-class helicopter destroyer JS Ise (DDH 182), while Canada represented with their Royal Canadian Navy Halifax-class frigate HMCS Regina (FFH 334) and auxiliary oiler replenishment MV Asterix (T-AKE-14).
“Talisman Sabre ‘19 is a tremendous opportunity for the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group to train in a joint and combined environment, improve our sailor’s proficiency and sharpen our warfighting skills,” said Rear Admiral Karl Thomas, Commander, Task Force 70. “As a forward deployed force, we routinely train and operate alongside our allies, partners and friends, but complex exercises like this ensure we can operate seamlessly as one lethal and cohesive team throughout this important Indo-Pacific region.”
The bilateral exercise provides an opportunity to fully integrate all domains of warfare, to include air, land, maritime, space, and information, and enhance Australian and U.S. interoperability in combined and joint warfare at the tactical level by conducting a single field training exercise, focused on amphibious operations.
