Exercise Talisman Sabre is designed to test the respective forces in planning and conducting combined (multinational) and joint (multi-service) military operations. It aims to improve the combat readiness and interoperability between Australian and United States' (US) forces and other partner nations.
Talisman Sabre reflects the strength of Defence’s alliance with the US and commitment to working with like-minded partners in the region.
Talisman Sabre 2023
Exercise Talisman Sabre 2023 (TS23) will run from 22 July to 4 August 2023 and will be the 10th and largest iteration of the exercise. It will consist of field training exercises incorporating force preparation activities, amphibious landings, ground force manoeuvres, and air combat and maritime operations.
Forces will be moving into Australian training areas from mid-July 2023.
Participants
More than 30,000 military personnel from 13 nations will directly participate in TS23, with others attending the exercise as observers.
Fiji, France, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand Papua New Guinea, Tonga, the United Kingdom, Canada and Germany will attend as participants. The Philippines, Singapore and Thailand will also attend as observers to the exercise.
Locations
TS23 will utilise a number of locations, both Defence and non-Defence training areas. These locations provide a realistic test of how a large military force should function in a broad area of operations.
NSW
- Jervis Bay
Queensland
- Bowen
- Charters Towers
- Gladstone Port
- Ingham
- Mackay
- Macrossan Training Area
- Midge Point and Bloomsbury
- Mt Stuart Training Area
- Napranum
- Offshore from Central Queensland to the Far North Coast
- RAAF Base Amberley
- RAAF Base Scherger
- RAAF Base Townville
- Shoalwater Bay Training Area
- Stannage Bay Peninsula
- Townsville Field Training Area
- Weipa
Northern Territory
- RAAF Bases Darwin
- RAAF Base Tindal
Western Australia
- RAAF Base Curtin
Other areas
- Norfolk Island
Community engagement
Defence has been consulting with local governments, traditional owners and land owners to help plan TS23.
This engagement will continue throughout TS23 with dedicated Defence liaison officers on location to ensure community communication.
Some community impacts expected during TS23 are:
- Large military vehicle convoys will be on public roads in July and August, including highways and country roads.
- RAAF Bases Amberley, Darwin, Richmond, Tindal and Townsville will experience increased military air traffic during TS23. Notices of flying dates and timeframes will be published publicly.
- Closures of waters and airspace in vicinity of training areas will be communicated via notices to mariners and notices to aviators respectively. Temporary restrictions to airspace will apply for some activities. Yachts, fishing vessels and aircraft operating are asked to heed these notices and maintain a safe distance from military training.
- TS23 will involve the use of weapons and explosive ordnance. The public should not handle weapons or touch ammunition and ordnance.
Safety management
Defence has conducted multiple site surveys in order to plan TS23 activities in a safe way that maximises training objectives and minimises impacts.
The management and control measures to restrict public access to the training areas throughout TS23 are designed to keep the community and exercise participants safe.
Defence will work with local communities to ensure access around the training areas is clearly marked and easily identified.
Environmental management
Defence will protect endangered species and marine mammals through a comprehensive framework of risk mitigation procedures ensuring compliance with relevant legislation.
An environmental management group will be on location throughout TS23 to ensure incident management and resolution occurs.
All foreign equipment, stores and ammunition being brought into Australia will be subject to biosecurity inspection.
Enquiries
For enquiries related to Exercise Talisman Sabre, fill in and submit the form below.