First time U.S. Army moves Theater Provided Equipment in Australia as part of Talisman Sabre 25

25 July 2025

From Sgt. Nickson Schenk, 8th Theater Sustainment Command

BRISBANE, Australia — For Talisman Sabre 25, the Australian Defence Force and United States military took steps to streamline the movement and readiness of military equipment within Australia. The focus of this effort is the utilization of theater-provided equipment from South Australia to training locations in northeastern Australia.

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U.S. Army Sfc. Mohammed Awal Ismail with the 8th Theater Sustainment Command works alongside contracted civilian support to load military vehicles and equipment in preparation for exercise Talisman Sabre 25 at south Bandiana, northeast Victoria, Australia, June 15, 2025. Talisman Sabre is the largest bilateral military exercise between the United States and Australia, featuring multinational participation. The exercise strengthens relationships, enhances interoperability among key allies, and reinforces a shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Devin Davis)

Soldiers of the 8th Theater Sustainment Command work alongside contracted civilian support to load military vehicles and equipment in preparation for exercise Talisman Sabre 25 at south Bandiana, northeast Victoria, Australia, June 15, 2025. Talisman Sabre is the largest bilateral military exercise between the United States and Australia, featuring multinational participation. The exercise strengthens relationships, enhances interoperability among key allies, and reinforces a shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Devin Davis)

U.S. Soldiers from the 8th Theater Sustainment Command and 332nd Transportation Battalion work alongside Port Darwin personnel to inspect and offload military vehicles and equipment from the Military Sealift Command-chartered Motor Vessel Cape Henry in preparation for exercise Talisman Sabre 25 at Port Darwin, Australia, June 9, 2025. Talisman Sabre is the largest bilateral military exercise between Australia and the United States, with multinational participation, advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific by strengthening relationships and interoperability among key allies and enhancing our collective capabilities to respond to a wide array of potential security concerns. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Devin Davis)

Talisman Sabre 25 will serve as the first large-scale validation of this TPE, enabling U.S. forces to access mission-ready equipment stored within Australia. This will significantly reduce logistical friction caused by international transportation and biosecurity inspections, thereby enhancing force responsiveness.

“This exercise is very beneficial for Australia,” said Royal Australian Air Force Flight Lt. Kai Cooling, a member of the Combined Joint Current Operations section within the Combined Joint Theater Support Component. “It is a test of our logistics at a large-scale, and helps us build a procedure for future iterations.”

All incoming military equipment must undergo inspections upon arrival in Australia, including biosecurity assessments conducted by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

“The theater provided equipment reduces the requirement of movement for units to send organic equipment from home station,” said Maj. Jeffrey Rigdon, exercise planner for the 8th Theater Sustainment Command. “It also reduces the need to go through stringent cleaning in order to meet Australian agricultural regulations.”

Talisman Sabre 25 will assess the procedures required to deploy this equipment in a joint operational environment, while also supporting the development of an enduring framework for processing foreign military materiel through Australian logistics systems.

“The theater provided equipment is a constant form of sustainment within Australia,” said Cooling. “It is a demonstration of our commitment we share with our partners in the region.”

Talisman Sabre is the largest bilateral military exercise between Australia and the United States, with multinational participation, advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific by strengthening relationships and interoperability among key allies and enhancing our collective capabilities to respond to a wide array of potential security concerns.

As strategic emphasis on the Indo-Pacific continues to intensify, initiatives such as TPE exemplify the proactive measures from the ADF and U.S. military to ensure operational readiness and reinforce their shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.