RAA Liaison Letter – 2025 / 2026 Edition 87 Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 Lieutenant Dominic Maher July 25 saw D Troop, 111 Battery conduct a NASAMS Live Fire Exercise at Bradshaw Field Training Area as part of Exercise Talisman Sabre. After a five-day road self-deploy from Woodside, D Troop joined with A Troop, 110 Battery to establish the defence of Tindal airfield before redeploying to Bradshaw. D Troop occupied a firing point deep in the Angalarri sector of the training area and commenced integration with a US Army Patriot element from 1-1 Air Defence Artillery Battalion, 38th ADA BDE (based in Okinawa). Having gained livefire experience from the AIM-9 trial at Woomera earlier in the year, D Troop rapidly established the firing point and began conducting rehearsals for firing day. The co-location of the Australian and US air defence elements allowed knowledge sharing between the two organisations, and personnel took advantage of the opportunity to learn more about each other’s systems and TTPs (as well as trade patches, CR1Ps and MREs). The OIC, MAJ Tula-Recinos (BC 111) and detachment commanders were kept busy escorting various visiting personnel around the firing point, including Japanese Air Self-Defence Force, RAAF 3 CRU, Coalition SOCOM members and US Army Commander 38th Brigade, and Commander 94th Army Air and Missile Defence Command (94th AAMDC). The Australian and US Army elements were joined by US Marine Corps personnel who would provide airspace deconfliction on firing day alongside Australian Air Defence Artillery Fire Control Officers (ADAFCOs). Throughout rehearsals the troop gained valuable experience overcoming the Northern Territory heat and the challenges of operating in a remote environment. A D Troop Canister Launcher fires an AIM120 AMRAAM missile at Bradshaw Field Training Area, July 25 On the day of firing, the troop received Commander US Army Pacific, General Ronald Clark, and made final preparations for the serials. Both serials saw an AIM-120 AMRAAM fired from the Canister Launcher at an unmanned aerial target, with Australian ADAFCOs deconflicting the airspace and providing engagement authority to the D Troop Fire Distribution Centre. The Exercise Talisman Sabre NASAMS LFX provided an important strategic messaging opportunity as D Troop demonstrated its ability to conduct an independent troop task and operate alongside international partners, as well as validating the ADAFCO capability within the Australian Defence Force (ADF) Integrated Air and Missile Defence. The LFX further reinforced the lessons D Troop had learned from IIS training and the AIM-9 shoot earlier in 2025. 21C High Mobility Launcher loaded with AIM120 CATMs at Bradshaw Fd Trg Area Operations Support Battery FORGING THE FIRST COMBINED AIR AND MISSILE DEFENCE HEADQUARTERS: LESSONS FROM TALISMAN SABRE 2025 Major Mick Parry, Battery Commander Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 was the most ambitious iteration of Australia’s largest bilateral exercise with the United States, involving more than 40,000 personnel from 19 partner nations. Against this backdrop, a historic milestone was achieved: the establishment of the first Combined Air and Missile Defence Headquarters (CAMD HQ). This initiative marked the first time the ADF operated at this echelon of Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD), creating a joint framework for integrated decision-making in a contested, highend warfighting scenario. Combined Headquarters The concept was simple in theory but complex in execution: integrate U.S. and Australian command elements into a single headquarters
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjE4NTMz