• Australian and US sailors man the rails of the US 7th Fleet amphibious command flagship USS Blue Ridge as the ship transits into Brisbane during exercise Talisman Sabre 15.
    Australian and US sailors man the rails of the US 7th Fleet amphibious command flagship USS Blue Ridge as the ship transits into Brisbane during exercise Talisman Sabre 15.
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The biennial joint US-Australian exercise Talisman Sabre 2015 concluded with a ceremony aboard the US 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge, in Brisbane on Monday.
 
This was the sixth iteration of the exercise, which focused on joint training of a combined task force of Australian and US forces in a mid-intensity, high-end operation, incorporating interagency cooperation. In addition, for the first time, a small contingent of Japanese troops were embedded with the US Marines. New Zealand also had ships, aircraft and troops participating. 
 
The exercise provided effective and intense training to ensure Australian and US forces are capable, interoperable and deployable on short notice.
 

"It's been one of the safest that we have performed and one of the most complex we have done."


 
Notable events during this year's exercise included Alaskan paratroopers dropping into the exercise area after a 16 hour-long flight from the US on seven C-17 Globemasters. The US Marines used their MV-22 Ospreys to their fullest extent and a pair of B52s flew a 44 hour round trip from Louisiana to target areas in the Northern territory. 
 
There was also a marked increase in the level of complexity of the exercise, with training locations in both the Northern Territory and Queensland being used. 
 
The exercise featured 21 ships, including the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, more than 200 aircraft, and three submarines. In all, more than 33,000 US and Australian personnel participated in the exercise. 
 
The US Navy made up the lion's share of the amphibious operation with only HMAS Choules representing the Royal Australian Navy. The new LHD HMAS Canberra is still working up towards full operational capability and the RAN is hoping to make a bigger contribution in the next Talisman Sabre exercise scheduled for 2017.
 
Vice Admiral David Johnston, Chief of Joint Operations for the ADF said "we have partnered many times with the United States military and I am really pleased to see Talisman Sabre 2015 continue to build on the partnership, to ensure that both of us are ready to go where we may need to when required".
 
"It's been one of the safest that we have performed and one of the most complex we have done," said Johnston.
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