Matt Burnell (Spence, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak about Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025, the 11th and largest iteration of Australia's premiere military training operation. It serves as a demonstration of our deepening alliances, expanding capability and nationwide defence preparedness. From July 13 to 4 August 2025 Australia was host to more than 30,000 personnel from 19 nations, with Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam attending as observers. For the first time, the exercise was also held with our neighbours Papua New Guinea, honouring their 50th anniversary of independence and our shared commitment to regional security.

Talisman Sabre started as a bilateral exercise between Australia and the United States. Now it's a global partnership, with participation from other friends in Japan, India, Indonesia, France, Germany, the UK, Canada, South Korea, Fiji, Tonga, Singapore, New Zealand and the Philippines, working side-by-side across all theatres: land, air, sea, cyber and space. These aren't just war games; it's a live, real-world rehearsal of how we operate as a coordinated force. Amphibious landings, ground manoeuvres, air combat operations and live fire drills are part of this year's multidomain exercise.

The scale of this operation is unprecedented. Forces began arriving in mid-July, moving across Queensland, Western Australia, New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Christmas Island and now our nearest Pacific neighbour. The logistics involved are among the most complex in our history. As Vice Admiral Justin Jones noted, Talisman Sabre demonstrates our enduring alliance with the United States through deepening cooperation in training and force integration, and it is that level of integration across defence, diplomacy and community that will define our success. Importantly, defence is working closely with local governments, traditional owners, emergency services and communities because we understand that a strong defence must also be a respectful one.

I was also fortunate enough to be able to attend the live-fire demonstration at Shoalwater Bay, witnessing live fire of our new HIMARS platform among other demonstrations. To Brigadier Ben McLennan, commanding officer of 3rd Brigade: thank you for your warm hospitality during week 1 of the exercise. To Lieutenant Colonel Dan Ellis, commanding officer of 3RAR, 'Old Faithful', it was a privilege to embed with your team for three days as part of the ADF Parliamentary Program. The professionalism on display during our stay was first rate by all under your command—thank you. Talisman Sabre is more than a defence exercise; it's a display of trust, teamwork and the enduring value of peace secured through unified preparation.