Photo By Tech. Sgt. Tarelle Walker | U.S. Army paratroopers assigned to 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th...... read more read more
QUEENSLAND, Australia – Multiple U.S. Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft executed a joint force-entry operation into Australia, deploying U.S. Army and international paratroopers in support of Talisman Sabre 25.
Originating from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, the mission spanned the immense distances of the Pacific, sustained by U.S. Air Force aerial refueling operations. It culminated in the precision insertion of 314 U.S. Army 11th Airborne Division, Australian Defence Force, and German Army paratroopers into a designated drop zone in eastern Australia.
“We employ large formations to quickly and effectively place mass at the time and place of our choosing,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Christopher Bukowski, 535th Airlift Squadron, 15th Wing, director of operations. “Executing a drop like this at speed and scale, and in conjunction with our allies and joint partners, is crucial to honing that skill and sending a deterrent message to our adversaries.”
The one-way trans-Pacific journey spanned over 6,200 miles and was conducted by 13 C-17 aircraft assigned to the 15th Wing, Pacific Air Forces, 437th Airlift Wing, Air Mobility Command, and 164th Airlift Wing, Tennessee Air National Guard, underscored the robust U.S.-Australia partnership and shared commitment to regional defense.
“Through the strategic employment of U.S. Air Force mobility aircraft, our highly proficient teams—operating in close coordination with partners and allies— refined the ability to project personnel and mission-critical material across the vast Pacific with precision and speed,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Ana Donohue, 535th Airlift Squadron C-17 Globemaster III pilot. “This critical capability was showcased during a recent joint forcible entry operation, where the air domain proved to be the decisive bridge between strategic airlift and ground-based objectives, enabling the rapid achievement of essential outcomes across a geographically expansive and demanding operational theater.”
The meticulous planning required for this complex joint force-entry operation extended months in advance of the Talisman Sabre 2025 exercise, highlighting the extensive coordination between allied forces.
Talisman Sabre, the largest bilateral military exercise between Australia and the United States, is pivotal to advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific. It fortifies relationships and interoperability among key allies and partners, concurrently enhancing collective capabilities to address a spectrum of complex security challenges.
| Date Taken: | 07.16.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 07.17.2025 21:56 |
| Story ID: | 543151 |
| Location: | BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND, AU |
| Web Views: | 75 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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