MV-22 Ospreys with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 263 conduct deck landing qualifications aboard PHA Tonnerre in support of Exercise Semper Thunder off the coast of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, June 27, 2019.
Exercise Semper Thunder is a bilateral training exercise conducted between the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit and Task Force Jeanne D’ Arc, which reflects the desire to maintain a high level of interoperability in order to conduct operations in a coalition environment.
ODESA, Ukraine (July 11, 2019) Ships from exercise Sea Breeze 2019 (SB19) participating nations sail in formation during SB19 in the Black Sea, July 11, 2019.
Sea Breeze is a U.S. and Ukraine co-hosted multinational maritime exercise held in the Black Sea, designed to enhance interoperability of participating nations and strengthen maritime security and peace within the region.
(U.S. Navy video by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Bounome Chanphouang)
Ukraine (July 7, 2019) Partner nations gather to celebrate Ukraine Navy Day during exercise Sea Breeze 2019 in Odesa, Ukraine, July 7, 2019.
Sea Breeze is a U.S. and Ukraine co-hosted multinational maritime exercise held in the Black Sea, designed to enhance interoperability of participating nations and strengthen maritime security and peace within the region.
ODESA, UKRAINE
07.07.2019
Video by Petty Officer 2nd Class Daniel Charest
AFN Naples
In these photos, MV-22B Osprey aircraft are seen flying over the Rockhampton Showground pavilion as a display put on for the Rockhampton Open Day as part of Talisman Sabre 2019.
Talisman Sabre 2019 (TS19) is a bilateral combined Australian and United States (US) training activity.
TS19 is designed to practice our respective military services and associated agencies in planning and conducting Combined and Joint Task Force operations, and improve the combat readiness and interoperability between Australian and US forces.
TS19 will be the eighth iteration of the exercise and consists of a Field Training Exercise incorporating force preparation (logistic) activities, amphibious landings, land force manoeuvre, urban operations, air operations, maritime operations and Special Forces activities.
The featured photo has been digitally altered.
The photos are credited to the Australian Department of Defence.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services recently worked with firefighters from No 23 Squadron at RAAF Base Amberley to run through a hazardous material and decontamination exercise.
Key areas of the training included the fitting of appropriate personal protective equipment, product identification, chemical containment and clean up, education on the use of testing kits, casualty removal, medical requirements, and set up and use of the decontamination trailer.
Joint exercises such as this provide significant upgrades and insights for Air Force’s Firefighting capability.
Australian Department of Defence, June 20, 2019.
This year’s Exercise Talisman Sabre started off with a bang, as US Marine Corps and US Army High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HiMARS) demonstrated the firepower they could bring to bear.
The exercise, held on July 8, displayed not only the rapid-deployment capability of the systems, which were deployed by US Air Force and US Marine Corps MC-130s, but also how they integrated with Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon and E-7A Wedgetail aircraft.
It was also the first time Australian personnel had commanded the HiMARS systems.
Commander Forces Command Major General Christopher Field said the exercise was an impressive display of the capability of Australian and US military’s ability to work together.
“As we like to say, we’re combined and joint by nature, but partnered by choice and this was a great opportunity to show the interoperability between our two nations, both in the air and on land,” he said.
“Joint and combined fighting is essential to our two militaries and it’s always wonderful to get out and see soldiers executing their profession.”
The attack was also supported by two US Army AH-64E Apache helicopters, as well as Australian Army S-100 and Royal Australian Navy Scan Eagle unmanned aerial systems.
Australian soldier Corporal Thomas Rowe, of 16th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, said the live-fire exercise was the prelude to an integration with the US Army and Marine Corps he hadn’t previously experienced in his career.
“This was the first time we’d worked with the HiMARS and I’ve never seen a live-fire of that magnitude before,” he said.
“I was really excited to see all of them fire at the same time and it didn’t disappoint.”
Working with the Australians was a “great experience” for US marine Staff Sergeant Juan Cantu.
“This is the first time we’ve integrated the HiMARS with the Australian military, but even though we’ve been writing the book as we go, it has worked really well,” he said.
“We’ve built really good relations with the Australians which has helped smooth the process.
“I look forward to working with them in the future.”
After learning about the HiMARS system, Royal Australian Air Force Flight Lieutenant Alysha Dunn said watching the live-fire put it all into perspective.
“Because the 1st Brigade tactical aircraft control party has an existing relationship with the Marine Rotational Force – Darwin and a lot of our control doctrine is based on the Marine Corps, it’s been really easy to work with them,” she said.
“We’ve spent a lot of time training with simulated HiMARS systems, so it was awesome to actually see them fire – it really put our training into perspective.”
Exercise Talisman Sabre is the Australian Defence Force’s largest exercise, involving up to 34,000 sailors, soldiers and airmen from Australia, the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand and Japan.
https://news.defence.gov.au/international/talisman-sabre-starts-bang
Talisman Sabre 19 (TS19) is a bilateral combined Australian and United States (US) training activity.
TS19 is designed to practice our respective military services and associated agencies in planning and conducting Combined and Joint Task Force operations, and improve the combat readiness and interoperability between Australian and US forces.
TS19 will be the eighth iteration of the exercise and consists of a Field Training Exercise incorporating force preparation (logistic) activities, amphibious landings, land force manoeuvre, urban operations, air operations, maritime operations and Special Forces activities.
Raptors have come to Oz to participate in this year’s exercise.
And given how the F-22 has evolved over time, its ability to support a multi-domain force has been enhanced over the years, and certainly demonstrated in Middle Eastern operations.
According to an Australian Aviation article published on July 11, 2019:
United States Air Force (USAF) F-22 Raptors have flown alongside the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as part of an Enhanced Air Cooperation (EAC) exercise at Exercise Talisman Sabre 2019.
Group Captain Stephen Chappell, Commander of the Amberley based Australian-US task unit for the exercise, said training with the stealth fighter aircraft supported Australian fifth-generation integration and provided valuable training.
“Talisman Sabre builds on the regular exercises we do at Amberley, in the United States and the key training programs and exchanges with USAF and US Navy that we use to develop our tactics, techniques and procedures,” Group Captain Chappell said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Integration with the fifth-generation platforms like F-22 and F-35 are key to how we will do our job both now and in the future.”
According to an article published by the UK Ministry of Defence on July 9, 2019, the UK is focusing on developing new laser and radio frequency weapons.
The state-of-the-art weapons systems, known as Directed Energy Weapons (DEW), are powered solely by electricity and operate without ammunition.
The systems could be fuelled by a vehicle’s engine or a generator, significantly reducing their operating costs and providing unprecedented flexibility on the frontline.
In a Prior Information Notice (PIN) published this week, the MOD announced it is seeking to develop three new DEW demonstrators to explore the potential of the technology and accelerate its introduction onto the battlefield.
The laser weapons systems deploy high energy light beams to target and destroy enemy drones and missiles. Radio Frequency weapons are designed to disrupt and disable enemy computers and electronics.
Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt said:
Laser and Radio Frequency technologies have the potential to revolutionise the battlefield by offering powerful and cost-effective weapons systems to our Armed Forces.
This significant investment demonstrates our commitment to ensuring our Armed Forces operate at the forefront of military technology.
The new systems are expected to be trialled in 2023 on Royal Navy ships and Army vehicles but, once developed, both technologies could be operated by all three services. The Armed Forces will use these exercises to get a better understanding of DEW, test the systems to their limits and assess how they could be integrated with existing platforms.
The MOD aims to invest up to £130m in this package of Directed Energy Weapons, including the construction of the demonstrators, the creation of a new Joint Programme Office and the recruitment of personnel to manage the programme.
These demonstrators are part of the MOD’s “Novel Weapons Programme” which is responsible for the trial and implementation of innovative weapons systems to ensure the UK remains a world leader in military technology. They are expected to reach the frontline within 10 years.
The MOD already has plans for initial trials of laser weapons systems, with the Dragonfire demonstrator commissioned by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory to be tested later this year.
The Dragonfire represents a world-first in laser weapons technology, combining multiple laser beams to produce a weapons system that is more powerful than its predecessors and resistant to the most challenging environmental conditions.
The MOD also has over 30 years’ experience in Radio Frequency DEW, during which time the UK has become a world leader in developing new power generation technologies and a global hub for the performance testing and evaluation of these systems.
The graphic shows a Computer Generated Image illustrating the use of DEW on a Wildcat helicopter. Crown copyright.