SAF artillery, aircraft make Exercise Talisman Sabre debut in Australia
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SINGAPORE – The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) participated for the first time in the multinational Exercise Talisman Sabre (XTS), co-hosted by the Australian Defence Force and the US Indo-Pacific Command.
More than 100 SAF personnel, two Himars rocket launchers and two Chinook helicopters were deployed between July 13 and 28 alongside 40,000 personnel from 18 other partner nations at the military exercise, said the SAF on July 28.
The 11th iteration of XTS – the largest multinational military exercise in the Asia-Pacific – will conclude on Aug 4. It is held every other year.
Partner nations at the drills include Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Britain and Japan. Malaysian and Vietnamese forces attended as observers, according to Australia’s Department of Defence.
Teams from the SAF’s Special Operations Task Force, Special Operations Aviation Task Group, and medical and information domains took part in integrated training with partner forces.
“We value such multilateral training opportunities, which allow the SAF to enhance interoperability and deepen mutual understanding with partner militaries,” said Brigadier-General Anand Sathi Kumar. “Such opportunities will further hone the SAF’s tactical competencies, demonstrate our soldiers’ professionalism and build enduring friendships with partner nations.”
Aircraft from the RSAF participating in a joint mission with the US’ 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment at Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025.
PHOTO: MINDEF
The SAF’s Himars crew trained with Australian and US forces at a combined live-firing exercise on July 14 in Queensland, with the US Department of Defence describing the SAF artillery as delivering precision long-range fire after moving from concealed positions.
Dr Euan Graham, a senior analyst on defence strategy at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said the presence of Singaporean forces at XTS is noteworthy.
“Singapore has advanced military capabilities that no other partner in South-east Asia comes close to, so for them to take part in Talisman Sabre is an opportunity for them to drill as part of a large coalition force, and at the more complex end of the activity spectrum,” he told US-based defence news outlet Breaking Defence.
