US: Multinational military exercise sends message of unity to China | Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s multinational military exercise sends a message to China that America’s allies are working together to protect its security and democratic values, Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said Friday.

Talisman Saber began in 2005 as a joint biennial US-Australian exercise, but this year it has expanded to 13 countries and more than 30,000 troops.

Del Toro and his Australian counterpart, Richard Marles, stressed that bilateral military ties are getting closer as they began exercises at a naval base in Sydney.

Del Toro said that military land, sea and air platforms are becoming more complex and that allies must conduct joint exercises to operate as a unified force.

“The most important message that China can draw from these exercises and everything our allies and partners are doing together is that we are extremely united by core values ​​shared by many of our countries,” del Toro told reporters.

“We are ready to act together to protect our national security interests and protect the fundamental values ​​that we all share,” he added.

For his part, Marles said that during the two-week exercise, more than 800 combat vehicles will cross a single mobile dock to be deployed in the coastal town of Bowen, Queensland.

“This will be the largest logistical exercise we have seen between Australia and the United States in Australia since World War II,” Marles said.

Del Toro and Marles were optimistic about the progress of the so-called AUKUS deal, under which the United States and Britain would provide Australia with a fleet of submarines equipped with American nuclear technology.