Off the Capricorn Coast to the north-east of Brisbane, Momentum Media was invited to participate on a mission to support air assets participating in Exercise Talisman Sabre 2019.
Over the three-hour flight, around 10 aircraft were refuelled, including U.S Air Force F-22 Raptors
Taking off in the early morning light onboard a US Air Force McDonnell Douglas KC-10A Extender from Brisbane International Airport, Momentum Media’s director – defence and space, Phillip Tarrant, was to experience first-hand the air operations of Exercise Talisman Sabre.
Exercise Talisman Sabre is a bilateral Australian and US training activity, designed to practice the planning and conducting of combined joint task force operations plus improve combat-readiness and interoperability.
Occurring every two years, Talisman Sabre is a major exercise that reflects the closeness of the Australian-American alliance, and strength of the enduring military relationship.
The KC-10 Extender from the 6th Air Refuelling Squadron that Tarrant was on board, which is based at Travis Air Force Base, California, is an aerial refuelling tanker aircraft – the military variant of the three-engine DC-10 airliner.
Its air refuelling system allows the aircraft to refuel US Navy, Marine Corps and most allied aircraft on the same mission.
Tarrant said it was a privilege to be invited by the US Air Force to participate on the mission and see both US and Australian aircraft refuelled as part of the operation.
“Over the three hours' flight, around 10 aircraft were refuelled, including US Air Force F-22 Raptors,” he said.
The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is a single-seat, all weather stealth air superiority fighter that also has ground attack, electronic warfare and signal intelligence capabilities.
“F/A-18E and F/A 18F Super Hornets from the US Navy, launched from the aircraft carrier the USS Ronald Reagan, and Australian Air Force, flying out of Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base Amberley, near Ipswich, were also refuelled over the mission,” he said.
Talisman Sabre 2019 was the eighth iteration of the exercise and consisted of a field training exercise incorporating force preparation (logistic) activities, amphibious landings, urban operations, air operations, maritime operations and Special Forces activities.
Talisman Sabre exercises are conducted across northern and eastern Australia, and within Australia’s exclusive economic zone. Additional participants from third-party nations may participate or observe the exercise if invited.
During the mission the KC-10 flew in a racetrack pattern, allowing pilots to approach the aircraft when in need of fuel, then re-join the battle area.
The exercise area stretches around 1,500 kilometres along the Queensland and NSW coast, however the majority of activities for Talisman Sabre took place in the Shoalwater Bay area in central Queensland.
Since 1966 the land surrounding Shoalwater Bay has been under the control of the Australian Defence force and is used regularly for military training activities.
The connectivity and interoperability between all partner forces was a key objective of Talisman Sabre, with the exercise an opportunity to refine operational procedures and stress test how the individual nations can work effectively together.
“The tight bond between the US and Australian Air Forces was evident, with one of the F-22 Raptors that was refuelled actually flown by an Australian pilot on exchange,” Tarrant said.
“It was great to see the Australian and American flags on the dashboard of the Raptor up close as part of the refuelling operations, which was flown by RAAF pilot flight Lieutenant Paul Anderson.
“He is on a three-year assignment with the US as part of an exchange program, based at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska.”
Linda Reynolds, the Australian Minister for Defence, said Talisman Sabre was a major success, increasing interoperability between the Australian and US defence forces, and strengthening ties with other participating nations.
“This premier military engagement reflects the strength of the Australia-US alliance and the closeness of our military-to-military relationship,” Minister Reynolds said.
“This was the biggest exercise to date, encompassing over 34,000 personnel, 22 ships and over 200 aircraft.”
