Quad, 15 Nations Kick Off Drill In Australia
Australia has launched the 11th edition of Exercise Talisman Sabre, its largest-ever military exercise. More than 35,000 personnel from 19 countries have gathered to train over three weeks in coordinated operations. This includes the Quad nations—India, the US, Japan, and Australia—along with 15 other partners.
Wide Geographic Coverage
The drills are taking place across multiple regions: Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia, New South Wales, and—for the first time—Papua New Guinea. The training includes live-fire ground manoeuvres, amphibious landings, air combat, and maritime operations.
India’s Debut Participation
For the first time, India is actively participating in Talisman Sabre. Indian forces will join exercises that emphasise interoperability and joint response capability, highlighting India’s growing defence ties with Australia, the US, and Japan in the Indo-Pacific region.
Diverse Participation
Other participating nations include Canada, Fiji, France, Germany, Indonesia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Tonga, and the UK. Malaysia and Vietnam are attending as observers, strengthening regional defence cooperation.
Strategic Importance
Australia’s Defence Minister described the exercise as the most “sophisticated war‑fighting drills ever conducted” in the country. The scale and diversity of participating nations reflect the shared priority among partners to improve preparedness for regional contingencies, including humanitarian relief and maritime security.
The defence ministers and military leadership view this as a demonstration of unity and strategic partnership, sending a strong message of regional stability through coordinated training.
