AP News, June 18th, 2007
Australia and the United States launched their biggest joint war games Monday, with 27,500 troops backed by a U.S. aircraft carrier engaging in exercises aimed at consolidating the allies' military dominance in the Asia Pacific region.
The biennial Talisman Sabre exercise pits 20,000 U.S. troops and 7,500 Australian forces against two fictional enemies _ the Kamarians and Musorians _ in a variety of land and sea-based scenarios designed to test their skills in combat, peacekeeping and humanitarian relief efforts.
The exercise, which runs until July 2, will also include 10 U.S. ships, 20 Australian ships and 125 aircraft operating off the coast of Rockhampton in northeastern Queensland state.
"The United States and Australia have a long-standing relationship ... we share the same values and interests. Foremost among those interests is the stability and security of the Asia-Pacific region," U.S. Vice Admiral Doug Crowder told reporters on board the USS Blue Ridge in Sydney.
"Therefore it is very important that our militaries train together to carry out the types of missions our governments may call upon us to execute to ensure regional security and stability," he said.
The exercise comes as the United States and Japan step up efforts to build a joint missile defense system in Asia, partly as a bulwark against regional threats, such as a nuclear-armed North Korea.
Australia, a steadfast U.S. ally that maintains around 2,000 troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, is studying whether to participate in the defense shield, Defense Minister Brendan Nelson said this month.
