Latest news with #U.S.ArmyPacific
Newsweek
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
US Hits Missile Power Milestone Amid China Threat
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The United States sank a maritime target using a missile during an exercise in Australia, as China continues its rapid naval buildup and expands its warship presence in the Pacific. The Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) was launched from a land-based Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile system, a type that has been deployed in the Philippines since April 2024. Newsweek has contacted the Chinese defense and foreign ministries for comment via email. Why It Matters The MRC can fire the Tomahawk cruise missile and the SM-6, with ranges of 1,000 and 290 miles, respectively. The latter is also known as "three missiles in one," as it is capable of being used in anti-air warfare, anti-surface warfare, and ballistic missile defense. The MRC's deployment in the Philippines—a U.S. treaty ally involved in territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea—comes as Beijing asserts its sovereignty in the area by maintaining a persistent presence of naval and coast guard vessels. These often result in standoffs and clashes with rival forces—particularly those of the Philippines. Prior to the MRC's live-fire sinking exercise—the first of its kind outside the continental U.S.—China flexed its naval strength through two high-profile missions in the Pacific Ocean earlier this year: a dual aircraft carrier deployment and the circumnavigation of Australia. What To Know The live-fire event took place at an undisclosed location in Australia's Northern Territory on Wednesday as part of Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025—held across Australia and involving over 35,000 military personnel from 19 Indo-Pacific, North American and European nations. The United States Army Third Multi-Domain Task Force conducts the first Mid-Range Capability live-fire exercise outside of the continental U.S. in Northern Territory, Australia, on July 16, 2025. The United States Army Third Multi-Domain Task Force conducts the first Mid-Range Capability live-fire exercise outside of the continental U.S. in Northern Territory, Australia, on July 16, 2025. Sgt. Perla Alfaro/U.S. Army The missile successfully sank its target, the U.S. Army Pacific said, without providing further details. The MRC was deployed by the U.S. Army's Third Multi-Domain Task Force, a unit capable of delivering precision strikes against anti-access and area denial networks—referring to efforts that prevent or restrict an enemy from entering and operating within a contested area. The MRC stationed in the Philippines has been assigned to the First Multi-Domain Task Force. The deployment in Australia demonstrated the Third Multi-Domain Task Force's ability to operate and contribute to regional security and stability, according to the U.S. Army Pacific. The live-fire drill marked what the U.S. Army Pacific described as a "significant milestone" in the development of America's land-based maritime and strategic strike capabilities. U.S. Army Colonel Wade Germann, commander of the Third Multi-Domain Task Force, said it represented another significant step forward in the unit's ability to "deploy, integrate, and command and control" advanced land-based maritime strike capabilities. What People Are Saying The U.S. Army Pacific said on Wednesday: "The demonstration highlights the strength of the Australia-U.S. Alliance and the rapidly advancing capability and capacity of [the Third Multi-Domain Task Force] and the 10th Australian Brigade to deploy advanced, land-based maritime strike capabilities in support of regional security and stability." U.S. Army Colonel Wade Germann, commander of the Third Multi-Domain Task Force, said in a press release on Wednesday: "This exercise validated our targeting and [command and control] interoperability with our partner unit the Australian 10th Brigade through the Land Effects Coordination Cell. We have set the stage to develop and deploy combat-credible, multi-domain capabilities forward in support of the Combined and Joint Force." What Happens Next The live-fire exercise provided "valuable insights and lessons learned" that will inform the development and employment of land-based maritime strike capabilities, according to the U.S. Army Pacific. It remains to be seen whether similar exercises will be held in the future.
Mint
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Mint
40,000 troops, 19 nations: The China threat unites US allies
ROCKHAMPTON, Australia—Artillery, rocket launchers and self-propelled howitzers opened fire at a training area in northern Australia on Monday, kick-starting three weeks of military drills here between the U.S. and 18 allies. The biennial exercise, called Talisman Sabre, is meant to send a message to China: The U.S. and its partners are ready to respond together to aggression from Beijing, which has been increasingly asserting itself in what it regards as its sphere of influence in the Asia-Pacific region. 'Our resolve to train, and will to prepare and will to fight, that's not made up," said Lt. Gen. J.B. Vowell, the deputy commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific, after he watched munitions hit a simulated enemy on a hillside in the training zone. This year's Talisman Sabre is the 11th and largest iteration of the exercise, officials said. Some 40,000 personnel from 19 nations are involved. The exercise, which includes Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, India and several European countries, has become a cornerstone of U.S. efforts to deter Beijing from launching a military strike on Taiwan, the self-governing island it claims as its own. Beijing often sends spy ships to observe the exercise, and Australian officials said they expected China to monitor the drills again. 'The fact that we have 19 nations participating this year in Exercise Talisman Sabre tells you that we're all in search of a common goal, which is stability, a free and open Indo-Pacific and adherence to international law," said Vice Admiral Justin Jones, chief of joint operations for Australia's military. Dignitaries watch a live-fire demonstration at a training area in northern Australia. Beijing, which has invested heavily in its military in recent years, has conducted increasingly assertive maneuvers this year, including live-fire navy drills near Australia and sending ships near far-flung Japanese islands. Chinese forces also routinely operate around Taiwan and in the disputed South China Sea. The U.S. has responded to Beijing's buildup by dispersing its forces more widely and making its units more agile. Meanwhile, multinational exercises are growing in scale, scope and complexity, as countries in the region realize that they could easily be drawn into a conflict. 'Everyone is seeing the aggressive activities that China is doing," said Lt. Gen. Matthew McFarlane, who commands the U.S. Army's I Corps. 'That's why they're more interested in what they need to do to protect their sovereign interests." During the exercise, the U.S. and its allies plan to fire key land-based missile systems that will be crucial if Washington wants to control important sea lanes around Taiwan in a conflict. That includes the Typhon missile system, which would be the first time it has been fired west of the international date line. Drones are also being tested on both land and sea, taking a cue from how important they have become on the battlefields of Ukraine. Amphibious landings and air and sea maneuvers are planned. And for the first time, the exercise will include an activity in Papua New Guinea, a large island nation north of Australia which signed a security deal with the U.S. in 2023. Australia, which has been boosting its long-range strike capabilities, will further test its ability to operate out of the strategic north of the country, where the U.S. has been investing in air bases and logistics that could provide rear support in a conflict. 'The battlefield of tomorrow is unlikely to be the battlefield of the past," said Maj. Gen. E. Darrin Cox, who leads the Army's 18th Theater Medical Command in the Pacific, which is working with the Australians to coordinate medical support during the exercise. 'We need to be thinking about our allies and partners, and how we can best partner with each other." China frequently denounces joint drills as provocative, and says they disrupt peace and stability in the region. The exercise gives the U.S. an opportunity to present a united military front when political tensions have surfaced between Washington and its allies, as the Trump administration pushes other countries to increase military spending. The U.S. is reviewing a plan to sell Australia nuclear-powered submarines, and Australia's prime minister is visiting China this week in an effort to thaw ties. There has also been debate about whether important allies such as Australia and Japan would join the U.S. if Washington decided to defend Taiwan against China. 'We don't engage in hypotheticals," Australia's defense industry minister, Pat Conroy, said in a television interview over the weekend when asked about the topic. At the training area in northern Australia, Monday's drill featured U.S. F-35 jets, Australian and U.S. artillery, South Korean self-propelled howitzers and tanks, and a Japanese surface-to-air missile system. The maneuvers also involved truck-based rocket launchers called the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or Himars, from the U.S., Singapore and Australia, which all fired together for the first time. The vehicle's ease of maneuver and ability to hide has been crucial in helping Ukraine defend against Russia, and the U.S. and its allies could use the system to hit Chinese targets from islands. The U.S. plans to do more drills with the Himars, including deploying them at very rapid notice across Australia. 'The Pacific isn't just blue bits with navies," said Mick Ryan, a senior fellow for military studies at the Lowy Institute think tank and a retired Australian Army major general. 'Armies that can fire long-range missiles at ships also have a say."
Time of India
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Australia hosts largest-ever military exercise with 19 nations, likely to draw Chinese attention
The largest-ever war-fighting drills in Australia, Exercise Talisman Sabre , are underway and expected to attract the attention of Chinese spy ships. Talisman Sabre began in 2005 as a biennial joint exercise between the United States and Australia. This year, more than 35,000 military personnel from 19 nations, including Canada, Fiji, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Tonga, and the United Kingdom, will take part over three weeks, Australia's defense department said Sunday. Malaysia and Vietnam are also attending as observers. The exercise will also take place in Papua New Guinea, Australia's nearest neighbor. It is the first time Talisman Sabre activities have been held outside Australia. Live Events Chinese surveillance ships have monitored naval exercises off the Australian coast during the last four Talisman Sabre exercises and were expected to surveil the current exercise, Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy said. "The Chinese military have observed these exercises since 2017. It'd be very unusual for them not to observe it," Conroy told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. "We'll adjust accordingly. We'll obviously observe their activities and monitor their presence around Australia, but we'll also adjust how we conduct those exercises," Conroy added. Conroy said the Chinese were not yet shadowing ships as of Sunday. The exercise officially started on Sunday with a ceremony in Sydney attended by Deputy Commanding General of U.S. Army Pacific Lt. Gen. J.B. Vowell and Australia's Chief of Joint Operations Vice-Adm. Justin Jones. The exercise, showcasing Australia's defense alliance with the United States, started a day after Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese began a six-day visit to China, where he is expected to hold his fourth face-to-face meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Tuesday. Albanese said Chinese surveillance of Talisman Sabre would not be an issue raised with Xi. "That would be nothing unusual. That has happened in the past and I'll continue to assert Australia's national interest, as I do," Albanese told reporters in Shanghai Monday. Albanese also noted that while he had visited the United States as prime minister five times, he had only been to China twice. The Australian leader has been criticized at home for failing to secure a face-to-face meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. "I look forward to a constructive engagement with President Trump. We have had three constructive phone conversations," Albanese said.
Asahi Shimbun
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
A military exercise drawing together 19 nations and 35,000 forces begins in Australia
MELBOURNE--The largest-ever war fighting drills in Australia, Exercise Talisman Sabre, is underway and expected to attract the attention of Chinese spy ships. Talisman Sabre began in 2005 as a biennial joint exercise between the United States and Australia. This year, more than 35,000 military personnel from 19 nations, including Canada, Fiji, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Tonga, and the United Kingdom, will take part over three weeks, Australia's defense department said on Sunday. Malaysia and Vietnam are also attending as observers. The exercise will also take part in Papua New Guinea, Australia's nearest neighbor. It is the first time Talisman Sabre activities have been held outside Australia. Chinese surveillance ships have monitored naval exercises off the Australian coast during the last four Talisman Sabre exercises and were expected to surveil the current exercise, Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy said. 'The Chinese military have observed these exercises since 2017. It'd be very unusual for them not to observe it,' Conroy told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. 'We'll adjust accordingly. We'll obviously observe their activities and monitor their presence around Australia, but we'll also adjust how we conduct those exercises,' Conroy added. Conroy said the Chinese were not yet shadowing ships as of Sunday. The exercise officially started on Sunday with a ceremony in Sydney attended by Deputy Commanding General of U.S. Army Pacific Lt. Gen. J.B. Vowell and Australia's Chief of Joint Operations Vice-Adm. Justin Jones. The exercise, showcasing Australia's defense alliance with the United States, started a day after Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese began a six-day visit to China, where he is expected to hold his fourth face-to-face meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Tuesday. Albanese said Chinese surveillance of Talisman Sabre would not be an issue raised with Xi. 'That would be nothing unusual. That has happened in the past and I'll continue to assert Australia's national interest, as I do,' Albanese told reporters in Shanghai Monday. Albanese also noted that while he had visited the United States as prime minister five times, he had only been to China twice. The Australian leader has been criticized at home for failing to secure a face-to-face meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. 'I look forward to a constructive engagement with President Trump. We have had three constructive phone conversations,' Albanese said.
The Hindu
14-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
A military exercise drawing together 19 nations and 35,000 forces begins in Australia
The largest-ever war fighting drills in Australia, Exercise Talisman Sabre, is underway and expected to attract the attention of Chinese spy ships. Talisman Sabre began in 2005 as a biennial joint exercise between the United States and Australia. This year, more than 35,000 military personnel from 19 nations, including Canada, Fiji, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Tonga, and the United Kingdom, will take part over three weeks, Australia's defense department said on Sunday (July 13, 2025). Malaysia and Vietnam are also attending as observers. The exercise will also take part in Papua New Guinea, Australia's nearest neighbour. It is the first time Talisman Sabre activities have been held outside Australia. Chinese surveillance ships have monitored naval exercises off the Australian coast during the last four Talisman Sabre exercises and were expected to surveil the current exercise, Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy said. 'The Chinese military have observed these exercises since 2017. It'd be very unusual for them not to observe it,' Mr. Conroy told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. 'We'll adjust accordingly. We'll obviously observe their activities and monitor their presence around Australia, but we'll also adjust how we conduct those exercises,' Mr. Conroy added. Mr. Conroy said the Chinese were not yet shadowing ships as of Sunday. The exercise officially started on Sunday with a ceremony in Sydney attended by Deputy Commanding General of U.S. Army Pacific Lt. Gen. J.B. Vowell and Australia's Chief of Joint Operations Vice-Adm. Justin Jones. The exercise, showcasing Australia's defense alliance with the United States, started a day after Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese began a six-day visit to China, where he is expected to hold his fourth face-to-face meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Tuesday (July 15, 2025). Mr. Albanese said Chinese surveillance of Talisman Sabre would not be an issue raised with Mr. Xi. 'That would be nothing unusual. That has happened in the past and I'll continue to assert Australia's national interest, as I do,' Mr. Albanese told reporters in Shanghai Monday (July 13, 2025). Mr. Albanese also noted that while he had visited the United States as prime minister five times, he had only been to China twice. The Australian leader has been criticized at home for failing to secure a face-to-face meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. 'I look forward to a constructive engagement with President Trump. We have had three constructive phone conversations,' Mr. Albanese said.
