Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now we know that Australia is going to host the
largest ever exercise, Talisman Saber, from the thirteenth of July
to the fourth of August this year. Over thirty thousand
military personnel from nineteen nations are set to participate in
activities across Australia and for the first time in Papua
New Guinea as well. Now joining us in the studio
(00:20):
is Talisman Sabers twenty twenty five Exercise Director Brigadier Damien Hill.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Good morning to you, Good morning Katie.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
How are you yeah? Really good, Great to have you
in this studio. Now tell us how is the exercise
going to differ this year compared to previous years.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
So tomorre a bit of an expansion from twenty twenty three,
and I'm doing my second one as exercise director, so
either performance punishment or just punishment. But twenty twenty five
expands the exercise from twenty three, So we're talking about
activities from the Christmas Island Beecroft Weapons Range, fifteen nations
(00:58):
in twenty three nineteen in twenty five and excitingly, Papua
New Guinea has agreed to host an activity as part
of Talisman saber.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
For the first time. Yeah, what's that going to mean?
How does that sort of work?
Speaker 2 (01:10):
I spice, So we have an opportunity to practice with
the Papua New Guineans and the United States and p
and G a joint personnel recovery, so the loss of
a person or a capability and just practice their international
obligations with them and understand how we can support each
other in those difficult activities that are a joint.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Personnel recovery and I guess you know within our region,
and it does sort of, you know, exemplify just how
important this region is as well. I mean thirty thousand
military personnel from over nineteen nations that is like, that's
a phenomenal number.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
It is, and potentially we could gust up to forty
thousand really during the peak of the exercise. So yeah,
it is a lot. We're talking well over thirty military ships,
over two hundred aircraft, thousands of vehicles and I know
there's a whole bunch of vehicles here from our reserve
units in the South of Australia will be participating and
(02:09):
you would have seen them in the Port of Darwin
getting ready for the exercise and they'll be part of
the community engagement here in Darwin.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
So what kind of you know, equipment are you talking
and what kind of vehicles, what kind of aircraft. There's
a lot of people that listen to this show that
are going to be watching the skies and wanting to
know what they might see.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
There's a very active aircraft spotting community in Darwin. I
think what you're going to see for the first time
ever is Norwegian's coming with will be half a dozen
Norwegian F thirty five's alongside the myriad of capabilities that
we have. You're going to see all of the ground
vehicles that you'd normally see. The difference is they're reservists
from Melbourne and South Australia. We're really fortunate to host
(02:55):
His Majesty's ship Prince of Wales and the UK Carrier
Strike Group, which is on its maiden voyage and indeed
the first time they've been into the Indo Pacific. So
they'll come into Darwin at the back end of the
exercise and I think for most territorians and visitors it
will be exciting to see something different such as a
United Kingdom carrier.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
How important are exercises like this, particularly when we see
what is unfolding in Iran at the moment.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Yet, so every activity we do is focused on preparing
for our mission, which is to defend Australia and its
national interests. So Talisman Saber is no different. The important
part of those nine een nations participating in the exercise
is we need to work together. We need to train
together so that in times of need or times of
requirement to cooperate, we're able to do so easily. And
(03:45):
it's it's a credit to all of those nations that
we're able to come together and operate so effectively. So
every time we can train is a good time to train.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Are you able to tell us anything about the kinds
of scenario is that you're going to be sort of
training for, or you know what the exercise looks like.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
I suppose yes. So there's fourteen lines of effort, which
is a lot over eight hundred activities. So some of
the activities in the East Coast where we traditionally have
run Talisman Saber amphibious, so practicing ship to share maneuver
what we call large scale combat combat operations, so very
(04:26):
much on the land. The first Brigade Marine Rotation Force
Darwin and the like will operate out of Bradshaw and
Townsville and down in Sholwoda Bay. You're going to see
live fire events, so we will fire Australia's high Mass
for the first time in Sholoda Bay beginning of it,
(04:46):
as well as some really exciting life fire And I'm
not going to give everything all, but certainly as it
comes out, you're going to see some great activities and
there'll be a lot of aircraft in the sky. You know,
it's not pitch black, but I'm trying my best to
con peat with it.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Will so there'll be plenty happening, no doubt about it.
What's it like for you, you know, directing this and
organizing everything, particularly when you've got such a large number
of people involved, and you know you've spoken about all
the equipment, all the different aircraft, all, you know, like
everything involved.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
What's it like trying to organize.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
All of that. Well.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
I used to be blonde haired, blue eye, so as
you can see, I don't have any hair left now.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Listen.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
It's a great privilege to be given this task. I
really enjoy it. It takes us two years to plan
to execute it. It feels like I'm planning it in
the last fourteen days. But the team, very small, team,
highly professional. We do this for a living. It's exciting
and it's always good to push the boundaries of what
(05:46):
we need to do and help the ADF actually enhance
the capability. So Tao Saba is a focus for modernization.
So there's a lot of firsts occurring on Talisman Saber
twenty five, there'll be over fifty and the most importantly,
a lot of seconds and thirds. So we've learned, we've
inculcated training, and we're now enhancing.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
What we do now in terms of what territorians can
expect to see while it's all happening. I mean you
mentioned additional aircraft out like what else? What will be
the highlights? I suppose for those out there listening, if
they want to keep an eye out.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
What's going to be difficult for me to say that
because if you're an aircraft spotterer, it's nirvana because you're
going to see F thirty five, fad and super hornets.
You're going to see C seventeen's are plenty C one thirties.
If you love ships, we're going to see capabilities from
the UK Canada, Norway, Australia and the United States. If
(06:44):
you just like trucks, you're going to see every truck
the Australian Defense Force zones in some way, shape or
form in the community. And importantly we're practicing some tasks
to defend critical assets. So our reserve units that we
call the Secure Task Force will be in the community
patrolling and practicing doing the types of tasks that we
(07:06):
might expect of them in times of uncertainty.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Well, Damien Hill, Talisman Sabers twenty twenty five, Exercise Director,
it is wonderful to talk to you this morning. Thank
you very much for joining us and really letting our
listeners know what they can expect when the exercise gets
underway from the thirteenth of July to the fourth of
August this year. Thanks k, thank you, thanks so much.
Now we know that Australia is going to host the
largest ever exercise, Talisman Saber, from the thirteenth of July
to the fourth of August this year. Over thirty thousand
military personnel from nineteen nations are set to participate in
activities across Australia and for the first time in Papua
New Guinea as well. Now joining us in the studio
(00:20):
is Talisman Sabers twenty twenty five Exercise Director Brigadier Damien Hill.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Good morning to you, Good morning Katie.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
How are you yeah? Really good, Great to have you
in this studio. Now tell us how is the exercise
going to differ this year compared to previous years.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
So tomorre a bit of an expansion from twenty twenty three,
and I'm doing my second one as exercise director, so
either performance punishment or just punishment. But twenty twenty five
expands the exercise from twenty three, So we're talking about
activities from the Christmas Island Beecroft Weapons Range, fifteen nations
(00:58):
in twenty three nineteen in twenty five and excitingly, Papua
New Guinea has agreed to host an activity as part
of Talisman saber.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
For the first time. Yeah, what's that going to mean?
How does that sort of work?
Speaker 2 (01:10):
I spice, So we have an opportunity to practice with
the Papua New Guineans and the United States and p
and G a joint personnel recovery, so the loss of
a person or a capability and just practice their international
obligations with them and understand how we can support each
other in those difficult activities that are a joint.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Personnel recovery and I guess you know within our region,
and it does sort of, you know, exemplify just how
important this region is as well. I mean thirty thousand
military personnel from over nineteen nations that is like, that's
a phenomenal number.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
It is, and potentially we could gust up to forty
thousand really during the peak of the exercise. So yeah,
it is a lot. We're talking well over thirty military ships,
over two hundred aircraft, thousands of vehicles and I know
there's a whole bunch of vehicles here from our reserve
units in the South of Australia will be participating and
(02:09):
you would have seen them in the Port of Darwin
getting ready for the exercise and they'll be part of
the community engagement here in Darwin.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
So what kind of you know, equipment are you talking
and what kind of vehicles, what kind of aircraft. There's
a lot of people that listen to this show that
are going to be watching the skies and wanting to
know what they might see.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
There's a very active aircraft spotting community in Darwin. I
think what you're going to see for the first time
ever is Norwegian's coming with will be half a dozen
Norwegian F thirty five's alongside the myriad of capabilities that
we have. You're going to see all of the ground
vehicles that you'd normally see. The difference is they're reservists
from Melbourne and South Australia. We're really fortunate to host
(02:55):
His Majesty's ship Prince of Wales and the UK Carrier
Strike Group, which is on its maiden voyage and indeed
the first time they've been into the Indo Pacific. So
they'll come into Darwin at the back end of the
exercise and I think for most territorians and visitors it
will be exciting to see something different such as a
United Kingdom carrier.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
How important are exercises like this, particularly when we see
what is unfolding in Iran at the moment.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Yet, so every activity we do is focused on preparing
for our mission, which is to defend Australia and its
national interests. So Talisman Saber is no different. The important
part of those nine een nations participating in the exercise
is we need to work together. We need to train
together so that in times of need or times of
requirement to cooperate, we're able to do so easily. And
(03:45):
it's it's a credit to all of those nations that
we're able to come together and operate so effectively. So
every time we can train is a good time to train.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Are you able to tell us anything about the kinds
of scenario is that you're going to be sort of
training for, or you know what the exercise looks like.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
I suppose yes. So there's fourteen lines of effort, which
is a lot over eight hundred activities. So some of
the activities in the East Coast where we traditionally have
run Talisman Saber amphibious, so practicing ship to share maneuver
what we call large scale combat combat operations, so very
(04:26):
much on the land. The first Brigade Marine Rotation Force
Darwin and the like will operate out of Bradshaw and
Townsville and down in Sholwoda Bay. You're going to see
live fire events, so we will fire Australia's high Mass
for the first time in Sholoda Bay beginning of it,
(04:46):
as well as some really exciting life fire And I'm
not going to give everything all, but certainly as it
comes out, you're going to see some great activities and
there'll be a lot of aircraft in the sky. You know,
it's not pitch black, but I'm trying my best to
con peat with it.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Will so there'll be plenty happening, no doubt about it.
What's it like for you, you know, directing this and
organizing everything, particularly when you've got such a large number
of people involved, and you know you've spoken about all
the equipment, all the different aircraft, all, you know, like
everything involved.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
What's it like trying to organize.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
All of that. Well.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
I used to be blonde haired, blue eye, so as
you can see, I don't have any hair left now.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Listen.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
It's a great privilege to be given this task. I
really enjoy it. It takes us two years to plan
to execute it. It feels like I'm planning it in
the last fourteen days. But the team, very small, team,
highly professional. We do this for a living. It's exciting
and it's always good to push the boundaries of what
(05:46):
we need to do and help the ADF actually enhance
the capability. So Tao Saba is a focus for modernization.
So there's a lot of firsts occurring on Talisman Saber
twenty five, there'll be over fifty and the most importantly,
a lot of seconds and thirds. So we've learned, we've
inculcated training, and we're now enhancing.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
What we do now in terms of what territorians can
expect to see while it's all happening. I mean you
mentioned additional aircraft out like what else? What will be
the highlights? I suppose for those out there listening, if
they want to keep an eye out.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
What's going to be difficult for me to say that
because if you're an aircraft spotterer, it's nirvana because you're
going to see F thirty five, fad and super hornets.
You're going to see C seventeen's are plenty C one thirties.
If you love ships, we're going to see capabilities from
the UK Canada, Norway, Australia and the United States. If
(06:44):
you just like trucks, you're going to see every truck
the Australian Defense Force zones in some way, shape or
form in the community. And importantly we're practicing some tasks
to defend critical assets. So our reserve units that we
call the Secure Task Force will be in the community
patrolling and practicing doing the types of tasks that we
(07:06):
might expect of them in times of uncertainty.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Well, Damien Hill, Talisman Sabers twenty twenty five, Exercise Director,
it is wonderful to talk to you this morning. Thank
you very much for joining us and really letting our
listeners know what they can expect when the exercise gets
underway from the thirteenth of July to the fourth of
August this year. Thanks k, thank you, thanks so much.
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