Darwin [Australia], July 22 (HBTV): A massive multinational military exercise, Talisman Sabre 2025, currently underway across Australia, has become one of the clearest signals yet of how the United States and its allies are preparing for the possibility of war with China. With more than 40,000 troops from 19 nations, the biennial drill, held from July 13 to 27, spans 5,300 km and features complex operations, including airborne drops, amphibious landings, and live missile firings.

The exercise's scenario revolves around a fictional adversary named the People's Republic of Olvana—strikingly similar to China in geography, military structure, and ambitions. While officials deny targeting any specific country, the use of Olvana, whose map mirrors that of modern China, makes the implication difficult to ignore. Brigadier Damian Hill, the exercise director, maintained that the focus is on interoperability, but admitted it aligns with Australia’s defense posture of "deterrence via denial."

Operations included US Army paratroopers flying in from Alaska to conduct a 50 km march after a night drop, US Marines securing airfields via Osprey aircraft, and a coalition fleet staging large-scale amphibious landings. In a significant first, the US Army fired its Typhon Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile system from Australian soil, striking a maritime target hundreds of miles away. This weapon, capable of launching SM-6 or Tomahawk missiles, is designed to neutralize enemy naval threats and reinforce strategic dominance over key locations such as the First Island Chain—a critical line of defense against PLA Navy incursions.

The presence of countries like Japan, South Korea, India, and the Philippines—several of which have territorial disputes or strategic tensions with China—underscores growing regional concern over Beijing’s assertiveness. Moreover, new participants including Singapore, the Netherlands, and Thailand reflect expanding global interest in Indo-Pacific security.

Colonel Brian Weightman, commander of the US 11th Airborne Division, noted that the ability to deploy an infantry battalion across 7,000 miles into hostile territory should "scare adversaries." He emphasized that while no specific enemy is named, the capabilities demonstrated would challenge any potential aggressor in the region.

Despite claims of neutrality, the sheer scale, realism, and geographic orientation of Talisman Sabre 2025 make it a clear rehearsal for high-end conflict in the Indo-Pacific. It sends a strong message of deterrence—one not just aimed at fictitious Olvana, but unmistakably at China.   

(ANI)