ROCKHAMPTON, AUSTRALIA (Agencies) July 31, 2025 – The multinational Exercise Talisman Sabre concluded on July 27, underscoring a strategic shift in Indo-Pacific defense operations as the United States and its allies demonstrated land-based anti-ship missile strikes and rapid deployment tactics designed to challenge China’s maritime mobility.
The 2025 iteration of Talisman Sabre—the largest joint war games ever held in Australia—featured coordinated missile launches from High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), Japan’s Type 12 platforms, and the U.S. Army’s Typhon launcher. Live-fire events were executed from various Australian locations, targeting simulated enemy warships and reinforcing the concept of a mobile, dispersed maritime strike network across the First Island Chain.
The exercise saw HIMARS units from Australia, Singapore, and the United States conduct simultaneous launches of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) munitions. Australia’s launch marked a debut for its newly acquired HIMARS, delivered in March. Two Rapid Insertion (HIRAIN) operations followed, deploying HIMARS by Canadian and German aircraft to Christmas Island and Rockhampton respectively. Although these drills did not involve live rocket launches, officials confirmed successful sensor-to-shooter integration.
A landmark moment occurred on July 15 with the U.S. Army’s 3rd Multi-Domain Task Force firing an SM-6 missile from its Typhon system in northern Australia—its first launch outside the continental U.S. The missile successfully struck a maritime target north of Darwin, highlighting Typhon’s expeditionary capabilities and support for distributed strike operations. The system, capable of deploying Tomahawk cruise missiles in addition to SM-6s, reinforces efforts to contest key chokepoints should regional hostilities arise.
Japan contributed two Type 12 anti-ship missile launches on July 22 at Beecroft Weapons Range south of Sydney, achieving simultaneous hits on a floating target approximately 19 miles offshore. The firings showcased improved targeting sophistication compared to prior drills. Col. Youhei Ito of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force stressed the increasing importance of multinational cooperation in safeguarding regional security.
The First Island Chain—from Japan through Taiwan, the Philippines, and Indonesia—remains a critical buffer zone. Defense planners view land-based mobile missile platforms as pivotal in deterring Chinese naval incursions. While officials have not confirmed Typhon launch activity from its deployed battery in the Philippines, the evolving posture signals expanded operational reach and tactical flexibility.
Talisman Sabre 2025’s emphasis on “island hopping,” austere airstrip deployments, and multi-domain integration reflects a maturing allied strategy centered on rapid projection of precision fires and maritime denial. U.S. officials say lessons learned will feed into future strike capability development across the region.