To further drive home this point, the Talisman Sabre military exercises recently began, demonstrating an effective collaboration in international defense. Almost 40,000 personnel from 19 nations are making this a remarkable event. Australia and the United States are co-hosting these weeks-long exercises. They take on administrative challenges in the defense management arena and highlight military strengths and military capabilities.
The Korean armed forces have historically been a key player in the exercises. They are featuring a live-fire demonstration focused on howitzer movements. Admiral David Johnston emphasized the importance of adapting Australia’s defence strategies to meet evolving global threats, urging Australians to view the nation as a “homeland from which we will conduct combat operations.”
Australia is getting ready for a new and different world. The Talisman Sabre exercises are both a showcase of new military capabilities and an opportunity to address internal Australian Defence Force challenges.
Defence Spending Under Scrutiny
In the last few years, Australia’s defence sector has come under intense fire for the blowouts in cost and time on landmark projects. And as documented in the US PIRG reports, some of these few initiatives are up to 100 years late on arrival. The United States is exercising increasing leverage on the government to raise its defense spending to 3.5 percent of GDP. If realized, that would translate to a $287 billion investment over the next ten years.
Admiral Johnston’s comments echoed industry’s own admissions that Defence historically has struggled to deliver to timelines and stick to budgets. He stated, “We’ve been very open about the challenges that Defence has faced historically in terms of its ability to meet delivery.” This key acknowledgment is the basis for a more thoughtful approach to producing greater efficiency and effectiveness in the military’s spending.
Defence Minister Richard Marles of Australia in July 2023 expressed similar thoughts when he stressed the need for greater efficiency in the armed forces. Both leaders have an appreciation and a deep understanding of the urgent need for systemic reform and adaptation. They are especially interested in the evolving realm of global security challenges.
“Delivery has to be a key focus, and we will look at everything we need to in terms of sharpening our delivery so that we get the best quality in the defence spend.” – Admiral David Johnston
Commitment to Strengthening Defence Capabilities
The Talisman Sabre exercises are an impressive display of combined military cooperation from across the globe. It’s set to further emphasise Australia’s commitment to strengthening its defence capabilities. Last week, Defence showed off its freshly-imported HIMARS — or High Mobility Artillery Rocket System. This incredible system has an eye-popping range of up to 500 kilometers. This progress is a big advancement in making long-range strike more robust.
Admiral Johnston remarked on the complexity of modern defence systems, stating, “These are highly complex systems, by nature pushing the edge in capabilities — because that’s what you need when you’re looking at capabilities that provide for the defence of your country … we do need to spend [public money] well.” This is a testament to the responsible approach taking shape in Congress towards realizing a consistent advanced military readiness and maintaining consistent fiscal safeguards.
Beginning in 2027, US and UK crews will rotate through nuclear-powered subs stationed at HMAS Stirling, just south of Perth. This decision underscores Australia’s larger plan to better mass its growing naval force. Admiral Johnston reaffirmed that submarines will play an essential role in future defence planning, saying, “Submarines are key as part of it, but they’re not the only part of the defence force of the future.”
“We need a long-range, long-term submarine capability; we only achieve that in the future by having a nuclear-powered submarine capability.” – Richard Marles
Future Prospects Amidst Global Security Challenges
Australia is smartly positioning itself on the international stage. The most recent Talisman Sabre exercises are much more than just military exercises – they’re a powerful expression of international partnership and collaboration, working together to achieve greater national defense readiness. The process of review now underway should feed Australian thinking about defence strategies and requirements into the mix, as they continue to develop.
Admiral Johnston is already busy establishing lines of communication with his US counterparts. He continues to ensure that Australia’s voice remains front and center as decisions are made about long-term military strategy. He expressed optimism regarding Australia’s future capabilities, stating he is “utterly convinced” that advancements in their military assets will yield significant results.
“That firmly remains our objective — to have an Australian national capability that brings all of the extraordinary capacity that a nuclear submarine brings, but having one that is under our national control.” – Admiral David Johnston
