The mood in the Australian outback is one of departure. Huge clouds of dust drift out of the accommodation tents onto the dry open space. The 170 or so soldiers of the 31st Parachute Regiment of the German Armed Forces from Seedorf in Lower Saxony put on their tactical equipment in the humid, tropical air and apply camouflage make-up to their sweaty faces. They pack their personal equipment, pick up their weapons and move from their camp in the outback to the so-called readiness room – the “Talisman Sabre 2023” exercise has begun.
Over the next two weeks, various locations spread across the entire continent of Australia will be used. The huge training area, with a surface area of around 2,300 square kilometers, cannot be compared with German training grounds. In the Australian outback, flora and fauna help determine tactical behavior. Not to mention the dangers that the soldiers could face in the Australian hinterland from animals such as spiders and poisonous snakes. After their arrival, the German soldiers familiarized themselves with the climatic challenges on site. Over the past few days, the German infantrymen repeatedly came into contact with soldiers from a wide range of nations at the camp. Whether it was playing sports together, such as football, introducing each other to their weapons or simply exchanging verbal experiences from the various deployments abroad. https://www.militaeraktuell.at/milizsoldaten-des-jaegerbataillons-25-ueben/ “Here at the exercise, in addition to my company, an Indonesian infantry platoon is also subordinate to a US battalion. This in turn belongs to an Australian brigade. Together we have coordinated and deepened tactical procedures, the care of the wounded and the forms of movement and deployment in unknown, tropical terrain. Now we are combat ready,” said Major Lars, company commander of the paratroopers, highly motivated. The inspector of the German Army, Lieutenant General Alfons Mais, was able to see the high motivation and professionalism of his men and women and the other nations for himself during a short visit to the training area in Townsville. “At the same time, the soldiers are to contribute their knowledge and skills to the exercise in a targeted manner and strengthen interoperability, i.e. the ability of different systems to work together, especially with those of the USA and Australia. Learning from the other exercise participants and gaining practical experience under the climatic conditions are two goals that the German Army is pursuing in Australia,” said the Chief of the German Army.
