As the joint military exercises between Australia and the United States and the summit of leaders from the US and Australia are set to begin, a US main attack ship arrived in Australia on Saturday, June 14. It is anticipated that Australian Prime Minister Albanese and US President Trump will mainly discuss military issues during this summit.
According to Reuters, the USS America, the main amphibious assault ship of the US Navy in the Indo-Pacific region, sailed into Sydney Harbor as the lead ship of a strike group, with two more warships expected to join. This strike group carries a total of 2,500 sailors and Marines, equipped with anti-submarine helicopters and F-35B stealth fighters.
Over 30,000 military personnel from 19 countries have gradually arrived in Australia to participate in the “Talisman Sabre” large-scale exercise. As the Chinese Communist Party’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region grows, the “Talisman Sabre” joint military exercise made its debut in 2005 and has been held every two years since.
This upcoming exercise is slated to start next month, covering a range from Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean to the Coral Sea, spanning 6,500 kilometers, making it the largest joint exercise between Australia and the US to date.
Commander Tom Shultz of the USS America emphasized the importance of conducting military exercises in Australia for the readiness of the US military. Rear Admiral Chris Smith, commander of the Australian fleet, pointed out the “indestructible” relationship of trust between the two countries allows them to jointly respond to changing circumstances.
Smith stated, “Our diverse perspectives on the world, in fact, are a tremendous advantage of this alliance.” He also emphasized the good relations Australia maintains with multiple countries in the region.
The G7 summit of leaders is scheduled to take place in Canada on Sunday, where Australian Prime Minister Albanese and US President Trump are expected to hold their first bilateral meeting during the summit. The main topic is anticipated to be Washington’s request for Australia to increase defense spending from 2% to 3.5% of GDP.
The Pentagon announced this week that it is reviewing the AUKUS nuclear submarine agreement with the UK and Australia. Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles stated on Saturday that this move was “not unexpected,” emphasizing that the two countries continue to cooperate closely.
However, Michael Green, a former national security adviser to US President George W. Bush, pointed out that the Pentagon’s unilateral review and its public announcement before the summit is rare and could be related to pressure from Trump to increase military spending or trade issues with Australia.
Green stated that despite this, the support for AUKUS from the US Congress and Navy remains strong, and the review is unlikely to lead to the cancellation of the submarine project.
Major General Damian Hill, the overall commander of the Australian military exercises, revealed that India will participate in the “Talisman Sabre” exercise for the first time, with a significant deployment of troops from Europe as well. The exercise will include large-scale live-fire rocket and missile system drills involving Australia, the US, Japan, and Singapore.
Hill further added, “This will be the first time the ‘HIMARS’ rocket system is launched in Australia, and our air defense forces will cooperate with the US ‘Patriot’ system, which holds great significance.”