US-Australia C2 Team Drives Success at Talisman Sabre 2025

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A joint United States and Australian ground-based Command and Control (C2) team is enhancing battlefield effectiveness during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025, managing threats in real time across a northern Australian airfield.

In the rugged terrain of a northern Australian airfield, a combined United States and Australian battle management Command and Control (C2) team is proving its mettle during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 (TS25), held from July 13 to August 4, 2025. Operating under the 55th Wing-led Exercise Talon Shield, part of TS25, this coalition unit demonstrates seamless integration to direct operations, counter threats, and deliver precise effects across land, sea, air, space, and cyber domains, as reported by Mirage News. The team’s efforts highlight the strength of the US-Australia alliance in ensuring regional stability.

The 552nd Air Control Wing of the United States Air Force (USAF) leads this ground-based C2 element, showcasing a deployable combat wing model that requires minimal infrastructure. Airmen from both nations, stationed at remote outposts and established airfields, manage real-time battlefield operations using the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) Bandicoot system, per Mirage News. This integration, executed over 15 days of flying operations from July 7 to July 25, 2025, ensures rapid and precise responses, enhancing interoperability. Lieutenant General Joel B. Vowell, Deputy Commanding General of the United States Army Pacific (USARPAC), told the United States Army News that TS25’s scale, with over 35,000 troops from 19 nations, underscores a commitment to deterrence and a free Indo-Pacific.

The C2 team’s success builds on TS25’s broader objectives, which include live-fire exercises, amphibious landings, and air combat operations across Queensland, the Northern Territory, and Papua New Guinea, according to the Australian Department of Defence. Brigadier Damian Hill, TS25 Exercise Director, emphasized to USNI News that Australia’s vast geography tests allied forces’ ability to operate over long distances, preparing them for regional contingencies. The team’s use of advanced command systems, including a mobile C2 node, ensures continuous coordination, as noted in a US Marine Corps release.

This operation reinforces the strategic partnership between the United States and Australia, with the C2 team’s efforts signaling readiness and resolve. As TS25 continues, the coalition’s focus on integrated command systems strengthens collective security, aligning with the exercise’s goal of maintaining a stable Indo-Pacific region.