Australia hosts multination exercises

CANBERRA, Australia — U.S. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said Friday the major multination military training exercise launched in Australia sends a message to China that America’s allies are cooperating to defend their security and democratic values.

Talisman Sabre began in 2005 as a biennial joint exercise between the United States and Australia, but has expanded this year to 13 nations and more than 30,000 military personnel.

Del Toro said land, sea and air military platforms are becoming increasingly complicated and allies need to exercise together to be able to operate as a single task force.

“The most important message that China can take from this exercise — and anything that our allies and partners do together — is that we are extremely tied by the core values that exist among our many nations together,” Del Toro told reporters.

Del Toro’s Australian counterpart, Richard Marles, said more than 800 military vehicles will cross a single mobile wharf to be deployed at the Queensland state coastal town of Bowen during the two-week exercise.

The closer military relationship will be underscored today when USS Canberra is commissioned in Sydney. The Independence-variant littoral combat ship, built by Australian manufacturer Austal, will become the first U.S. warship to be commissioned in a foreign port.

Fiji, France, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Britain, Canada and Germany are taking part in this year’s exercise that ends Aug. 4. The Philippines, Singapore and Thailand are attending the exercise as observers.