Fleet battle staff put to the test in San Diego on TS15

As Australian and United States Navy warships participating in Talisman Sabre 2015 continue high end maritime operations off the northern and eastern Australian coasts, a team of Australian warfare specialists are also being put through their paces on the other side of the world.

Led by the Royal Australian Navy's Commodore Warfare (COMWAR) CDRE Peter Leavy, Australia's contingent is comprised of core elements of the Fleet Battle Staff augmented by individuals drawn from all three arms of the ADF across a broad range of warfare disciplines. The team is being supported by personnel from the Royal New Zealand Navy and International Policy Division.

Operating from the Third Fleet Headquarters in San Diego, California, Australian personnel have integrated throughout the combined CFMCC Staff and are working closely alongside their USN counterparts in all aspects of the Talisman Sabre 2015 campaign. The focus of the Australian Staff has been the conduct of activities in support of the training outcomes of Talisman Sabre 2015 including the refinement of inter-operability between the ADF and US Forces in a coalition environment.

CDRE Leavy, who is performing the role of Deputy at the Combined Forces Maritime Command (CFMCC), said that he was impressed with the level of enthusiasm of all of the participants. He was particularly happy with the manner in which the Australian and US teams have coalesced to produce solid efforts in the current phase of the exercise. “It is shaping up to be another well planned and well executed exercise,' CDRE Leavy said. 'The training value and experience the participants will receive out of this event will stand them in good stead for the conduct of combined operations into the future'.

Ex Talisman Sabre is a biannual combined Australian and US training exercise focused on the planning and conduct of a high end, mid-intensity war fighting activities against a near-peer competitor. It is the largest military exercise held in Australia.