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In a powerful demonstration of its global reach and enduring commitment to Indo-Pacific security, the United Kingdom’s Carrier Strike Group has made a major contribution to Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025, Australia’s largest military exercise.
More than 3,000 UK military personnel are participating in the Australian and US-led biennial exercise, which spans vast swathes of Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland and NSW, as well as offshore activities in Papua New Guinea for the first time.
The UK Carrier Strike Group’s (CSG25) presence forms part of Operation Highmast, the UK’s flagship global deployment under the Plan for Change agenda, which is designed to deepen international partnerships, boost national resilience and assert Britain’s strategic commitment to the Indo-Pacific.
“The historic bonds between Britain and Australia run deep and through AUKUS and exercises like Talisman Sabre, we are strengthening these ties for the challenges of tomorrow,” UK Defence Secretary John Healey said.
“Our commitment to the Indo-Pacific is unwavering. The unprecedented scale of this exercise showcases the growing importance of cooperation in addressing shared challenges.”
Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 involves over 35,000 troops from 19 nations, including Japan, France, South Korea, Fiji, Germany, New Zealand and Canada, making it one of the largest multinational exercises globally this year. The exercise is focused on improving interoperability, joint planning and integrated military operations across land, sea, air, cyber and space domains.
Commodore James Blackmore, Commander of CSG25, said the UK’s involvement is a tangible demonstration of Britain’s operational readiness and strategic partnerships.
“This is a real demonstration of the UK and our partners’ warfighting capabilities. As the first UK-led multinational Carrier Strike Group to participate in Talisman Sabre, it underscores our enduring commitment to the Indo-Pacific region,” CMDRE Blackmore said.
All three branches of the British Armed Forces are engaged, including:
- Royal Marines who are working closely with Australian amphibious units and US Marines.
- A British Army Ranger Battalion that is supporting ground manoeuvres and interoperability testing.
- The Royal Air Force’s Voyager aircraft that are providing air-to-air refuelling and strategic airlift.
The UK Carrier Strike Group is also playing a key role in AUKUS Pillar II experimentation, testing cutting-edge capabilities in undersea and seabed warfare.
For the first time, AUKUS partners are remotely operating extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicles from distributed operating centres, showcasing how AI-enabled autonomous systems can be deployed in realistic combat environments.
In collaboration with the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and through the Resilience, Autonomy and AI Technology initiative, AUKUS forces trialled advanced systems capable of detecting and striking adversaries autonomously.
These trials demonstrate a future vision of an AI-enabled, multi-domain AUKUS force designed to maintain strategic edge across the battlespace.
The CSG25 deployment also reflects the UK government’s record defence investment, including its commitment to increase defence spending to 2.6 per cent of gross domestic product.
This uplift is central to Britain’s goal of maintaining global readiness while fostering economic stability through deeper strategic engagement with allies such as Australia.
For Australia, the British presence at Talisman Sabre enhances not only military cooperation but also underpins the broader AUKUS partnership, which continues to expand beyond nuclear-powered submarines into cyber security, autonomous systems, quantum and AI-enabled warfare.
With rising geostrategic competition in the Indo-Pacific, the joint presence of AUKUS forces alongside regional partners sends a clear signal: nations committed to the rules-based international order are prepared to defend peace, prosperity and freedom of navigation across critical sea lanes.
As the UK’s largest Indo-Pacific deployment in recent years, CSG25’s contribution to Talisman Sabre highlights how traditional allies are evolving their military partnerships to face emerging challenges, together.
Stephen Kuper
Steve has an extensive career across government, defence industry and advocacy, having previously worked for cabinet ministers at both Federal and State levels.
