As part of its participation in the multinational Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025, the United States Navy (US Navy) has recently deployed the USS George Washington (CVN-73) Carrier Strike Group to Australia to support joint training exercises taking place on Australian soil alongside allied nations. The capital ship, along with its escorts and support units, is currently operating under the command of the U.S. 7th Fleet in the Indo-Pacific, with its forward deployment based at Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan.
Talisman Sabre is a biennial, multinational combined exercise held in Australia that aims to strengthen interoperability among Indo-Pacific allied nations. The 2025 edition, taking place from July 13 to 27, involves 19 countries and more than 35,000 personnel, featuring naval, air, land, and amphibious components.
Prior to arriving in Australia, CVN-73 made a port call in the Philippines in early July as part of its initial operational deployment. The aircraft carrier had departed Yokosuka on June 10, conducting carrier qualification exercises with its embarked air wing, followed by maneuvers in the Philippine Sea. Since then, with limited official detail, the strike group has sailed southward—presumably through the South China Sea, a region of high strategic value where Chinese naval presence often heightens tensions with U.S. and allied forces. The USS George Washington’s participation in Talisman Sabre 2025 thus takes place within a broader context of U.S. efforts to reaffirm its presence in key Indo-Pacific regions.
“We rehearse our tactics and communications, how we operate and how Australia operates, how we communicate and integrate across multiple domains. All of these experiences enhance interoperability and strengthen our alliance as a whole for the security and freedom of the Indo-Pacific,” stated Rear Admiral Eric Anduze, commander of Carrier Strike Group 5 and Task Force 70.
So far, during its involvement in the exercise, the aircraft carrier has conducted flight operations in the Timor Sea, one of the maritime areas currently hosting portions of the naval training activities. Notable operations have included the deployment of E-2D Hawkeye aircraft from Airborne Early Warning Squadron VAW-125, which launched from CVN-73’s deck to conduct aerial surveillance and tactical coordination missions. These efforts are part of the broader push to enhance combined interoperability and joint responsiveness in complex Indo-Pacific scenarios, reinforcing both allied cohesion and airspace control capabilities in high-intensity operations.
One of the most significant developments in this edition of the exercise is the first-time participation of the F-35C stealth fighters, part of Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5) operating from the George Washington. These fifth-generation fighters are being evaluated for their integration with multinational naval forces, exploring their performance in real-world scenarios alongside allied platforms. “The F-35 raises the level of combat. It brings enhanced survivability, sensor fusion, and situational awareness. We’re seeing how it complements and enhances the existing capabilities of the F/A-18,” Rear Admiral Anduze said.
Finally, alongside the USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group, other naval units participating in the exercise include those forming the British carrier strike group led by HMS Prince of Wales (R09), namely: the destroyer HMS Dauntless; the frigate HMS Richmond; the support ship RFA Tidespring; the Australian destroyer HMAS Sydney; the Canadian frigate HMCS Ville De Quebec; and the Norwegian frigate HNoMS Roald Amundsen.
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