The multinational naval exercise Talisman Sabre 2021, involving about 17,000 personnel, successfully concluded off the Australian coast over the weekend.

Typically a biennial interoperability exercise of the navies of Australia and the United States, this year's two-week iteration also included the Royal Canadian Navy, Japan Maritime Self Defense Force and Republic of Korea Navy.

Small contingents of ground troops of Australia, Japan, Britain and New Zealand also were involved, as were F-35B fighter planes of the U.S. Marine Corps and F-35As of the Royal Australian Air Force.

It was the first time that the Australian F-35As and U.S. Marines F-35Bs participated in the exercise.

The Marines' F-35B short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing jets of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 were joined by Bell-Boeing MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor helicopters of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 265, both units stationed in Japan.

"During Talisman Sabre our Marines and Sailors were able to hone and demonstrate our ability to fight in a distributed maritime environment alongside our partners and allies," Col. Michael Nakonieczny, commanding officer, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, said in a statement on Sunday.

"Talisman Sabre allowed us to focus on littoral training, improve readiness and interoperability, while demonstrating that wherever we go, whatever we do, we do it together," Nakonieczny said.

On the sea, partner nations conducted integrated amphibious and air defense operations, and practiced tactical maneuvering and replenishments at sea.

The event this year was reduced in scale, from about 34,000 troops in 2019, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ground troops were subject to a two-week quarantine before joining the land exercises, which took place in Australia's northeastern Queensland state.

C-5 Galaxy cargo plane carries Chinook helicopters from U.S. to Australia
Washington DC (UPI) Aug 2, 2021 - Two CH-47H Chinook helicopters were loaded onto a C-5 Galaxy cargo plane and flown nearly 10,000 miles to Australia, the U.S. Air Force said on Monday.

The delivery, from Dover Air Force Base, Del., to Royal Australian Air Force Base Townsville in northeastern Australia, was the first two of of four Boeing-built heavy lift helicopters and related equipment sold to the Australia's Defense Department in a $259 million deal announced in April.

A U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency announcement at the time said the sale "will improve Australia's capability to meet current and future threats, increase operational capabilities, strengthen its homeland defense and promote military cooperation."

The 9th Airlift Squadron at Dover Air Force Base delivered the helicopters in July, a U.S. Air Force statement on Monday said, adding that the helicopters would be used in the Australian Army.

The Chinook CH-47 can fly at speeds of over 175 mph with a payload of more than 21,000 pounds. Typically carrying underslung supplies and equipment, suspended from the aircraft as it travels, the helicopter is used in combat situations as well as in humanitarian deliveries during natural disasters.

When the helicopters arrived at the Australian air base, employees of Boeing Defense Australia worked with the U.S. Air Force's 436th Aerial Port Squadron to unfasten rotors and other components that were folded during the trip.

The Australian Army now has 12 Chinooks, many of which served in Afghanistan from 2006 to 2013 and also participated in wildfire containment during the Australian summer.

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