Up to 240 German soldiers will take part in the Talisman Sabre drills for the first time amid rising tensions with China in the region.
Germany will, for the first time, send troops to Australia as part of joint drills with about 30,000 service members from 12 other nations, underlining Berlin’s increased focus on the Indo-Pacific amid rising tensions with China in the region.
Up to 240 German soldiers, among them 170 paratroopers and 40 marines, will take part in the Talisman Sabre exercise from July 22 to August 4, the largest drills between Australia and the US, held biannually, according to army chief Lieutenant General Alfons Mais.
“It is a region of extremely high importance for us in Germany as well as for the European Union due to the economic interdependencies,” Mais told the Reuters news agency in an interview published on Monday, hours before the first German troops were to leave for Australia.
The Germans will train in jungle warfare and landing operations alongside soldiers from countries such as Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, France and Britain.
“We aim to demonstrate that we are reliable and capable partners that contribute to stabilising the rules-based order in the region,” Mais said.
