Defence is seeking expressions of interest for media to attend Exercise Talisman Sabre 2023, the largest bilateral training activity between the Australian Defence Force and the United States military. 2023 will be the largest-ever iteration of the exercise and will include more than a dozen partner nations and more than 30,000 personnel taking part in high-end warfighting training across northern and south-eastern Australia.

There are a range of events for media to attend Exercise Talisman Sabre from 21 July – 3 August 2023, with opportunities to interview Australian Defence Force and international personnel.

Throughout July, there is also a range of events to demonstrate the importance of the Australia-United States Alliance. Australia’s Defence Strategic Review underscored the increasing importance of the United States to our national security, strategy, and defence capability. As well as its centrality to balance and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

Key activities:

• 21 July – Talisman Sabre opening ceremony in Sydney
• 22 July – The commissioning of USS Canberra in Sydney represents the first time a US Navy warship will be commissioned outside the United States.
• 22 July – Talisman Sabre live firepower demonstration at Shoalwater Bay Training Area, near Rockhampton.
  • Media will be able to see one of the ADF’s newest joint warfighting concepts; Multi-domain Strike, and includes the United States Military’s High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). There are a limited number of seats for media to travel this activity via Defence aircraft from Sydney.
• 23 July – USS Canberra Freedom of Entry parade, Canberra

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Further media opportunities during Exercise Talisman Sabre will be available in NSW, QLD, NT.

Exercise Director, Brigadier Damian Hill is also available for media interviews in the lead up to Exercise Talisman Sabre. Please contact media contact below.

Media note:

Please register your general interest for Exercise Talisman Sabre to media@defence.gov.au by Monday 10 July 2023. A member of the team will contact you to ascertain what events and locations you are interested.

Please note the media events for the commissioning of the USS Canberra and Talisman Sabre live firepower demonstration are in different locations on the same day. It will not be possible for individual journalists to cover both.

Media registration for the USS Canberra commissioning, Freedom of Entry parade is not required at this time. Further information will be communicated to media closer to these events.