US Warship Arrives In Australia For Largest-Ever Joint Military Drills

A United States warship has arrived in Australia ahead of the country’s largest-ever joint military drills with international partners, just before a high-level summit between Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and U.S. President Donald Trump.

The USS America, an amphibious assault ship and the lead vessel of the U.S. Navy’s strike group in the Indo-Pacific, entered Sydney Harbour on Saturday. It is the first of three U.S. Navy ships to arrive, carrying about 2,500 American sailors and marines, along with advanced submarine-hunting helicopters and F-35B fighter jets.

According to officials, over 30,000 military personnel from 19 countries are starting to arrive in Australia for the drills. The exercise is scheduled to begin next month and will stretch across 6,500 kilometers, from Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean to the Coral Sea off Australia’s east coast.

Rear Admiral Tom Shultz, who commands the USS America, said that training in Australia was essential to keeping the U.S. Navy combat-ready. On the other hand, Royal Australian Navy Fleet Commander Rear Admiral Chris Smith stated that the strong trust and deep cooperation between the two countries helped both sides adapt to global changes. He pointed out that different perspectives within the alliance were actually a strength and showed Australia’s strong ties with many other nations in the region.

Albanese and Trump are expected to hold their first bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit. One of the key topics of discussion is likely to be Washington’s request for Canberra to boost its defense spending from 2% to 3.5% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Meanwhile, the U.S. Pentagon announced this week that it is conducting a review of the AUKUS nuclear submarine partnership involving the U.S., Australia, and the UK. Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles said the review did not come as a surprise and confirmed that both countries continued to work closely on the program.

However, Michael Green, a former national security adviser to U.S. President George W. Bush, expressed concern about the timing and approach of the review. He added that it was unusual for such a review to be both unilateral and public, especially just before a major summit.

Green said that while the Australian side may have been informed in advance, the way it was handled could put pressure on Australia. He added that strong support for AUKUS in the U.S. Congress and Navy made it unlikely the submarine program would be cancelled.

For the first time, India will take part in the Talisman Sabre exercises. A large contingent from Europe will also join this year. Brigadier Damian Hill, who is leading the operation, said the drills will include major live-fire events, involving rocket and missile systems. He mentioned that HIMARS rocket systems will be fired in Australia for the first time, and Australian air defense systems will operate alongside U.S. Patriot missile systems-another first for the region.

In a separate comment, a spokesperson from the U.S. Navy said the arrival of the USS America and its strike group was a clear message that the Indo-Pacific region remains free and open.

Reference: Reuters

Source: Maritime Shipping News