For the first time, the long-running U.S.-Australia military exercise Talisman Sabre has extended beyond Australian territory, with joint operations this week spanning 500 kilometers of Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) remote northern coast, officials said.
The Papua New Guinea leg of the exercise marks a significant expansion of Talisman Sabre, which involved over 40,000 troops from 19 countries during drills held across Australia last month.
In PNG, U.S., Australian, and local forces are conducting survival, disaster response, and interoperability drills across seven regions, from Wewak to Lae, areas steeped in World War II history, where U.S. and Japanese forces once clashed.
According to a U.S. Embassy spokesperson, the joint operations are testing “combined capabilities across sea, land, air, cyber, and space domains.” The exercises are set to conclude with a closing ceremony in Lae on Monday.
The U.S. gained access to Lae’s major seaport through a 2023 defense cooperation agreement with PNG, forged in the wake of China’s growing influence in the Pacific, including a 2022 security pact with the Solomon Islands. The agreement, the U.S. says, aims to “enhance security and prosperity for both nations.”
PNG Prime Minister James Marape recently met U.S. Under Secretary for Defense Policy Elbridge Colby in Washington, emphasizing the need to protect Papua New Guinea’s sovereignty amid growing strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific.
Meanwhile, the Lombrum Naval Base on Manus Island, another key site covered by the defense pact, is set to be formally handed over to PNG by Australia later this month after a multi-million dollar upgrade. Australia won the contract to modernize the base in 2018, beating out a competing bid from China.
Despite Western outreach, Beijing remains active in PNG. Last week, China’s embassy shared images of PNG Defence Minister Billy Joseph attending an event marking the founding of the People’s Liberation Army and reiterated its interest in deepening military ties with PNG.
The PNG government has not commented publicly on China’s proposals or the ongoing U.S.-led exercises.
Written By Rodney Mbua
