28 July 2023
Norfolk Island is playing host to Australian and United States military personnel as part of Exercise Talisman Sabre 2023.
Around 150 Australian and US military personnel have moved to Norfolk Island this week to conduct training together.
Exercise Talisman Sabre 2023 director Brigadier Damian Hill said the public should not be alarmed by the training activity.
“Most of the training will be discreet and there will be no live fire,” said Brigadier Hill.
“The public can expect to see and hear military aircraft, watercraft, unmanned aerial systems and some military personnel will be carrying weapons.
“While the training activities will conducted during the day and night, it will be away from the public where possible.”
While Norfolk Island has a proud history of service in the Australian Defence Force, this will be the first opportunity for most to visit the island.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to train on Norfolk Island and I can tell you everybody involved in the training is looking forward to it,” Brigadier Hill said.
“This is a very unique opportunity for our friends from the United States and they’re fascinated by Norfolk Island’s history.
“We’re all grateful for the opportunity to conduct training on Norfolk Island and looking forward to talking to the locals and supporting the local economy.”
This year Exercise Talisman Sabre stretches from northern WA to Norfolk Island, the largest-ever geographical footprint for the high-end warfighting.
Exercise Talisman Sabre is the largest bilateral military training exercise between Australia and the US, with military personnel from 13 nations are taking part in 2023. The exercise is expected to wrap up by 4 August.
