India is set to participate for the first time in Talisman Sabre 2025, Australia’s largest and most significant military exercise, scheduled for July this year. The move marks a milestone in growing India-Australia defence cooperation, following strengthened ties cemented during the inaugural India-Australia 2+2 ministerial dialogue in September 2021.
Now in its eleventh edition, Talisman Sabre is often referred to as the “Olympics of military exercises” for its scale and complexity. Jointly developed by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the United States, the biennial exercise brings together thousands of personnel from across allied and partner nations to conduct integrated military operations across land, air, sea, cyber, and space domains.
In 2023, the event saw the participation of over 30,000 troops from 13 countries, showcasing advanced interoperability and multinational readiness. The upcoming 2025 drills will notably expand to include operations in Papua New Guinea, a first in the history of the exercise.
India’s inclusion underscores its growing role in the Indo-Pacific security framework and aligns with its ongoing military collaborations with Quad partners—Australia, the U.S., and Japan. The decision to invite India was part of broader efforts to deepen strategic engagement in the region.
Talisman Sabre 2025 is expected to feature large-scale war games and joint operations aimed at enhancing regional security, fostering military-to-military cooperation, and demonstrating the collective capabilities of like-minded democracies in the Indo-Pacific.
