Supporting the mission: Raytheon Australia bolsters success at Exercise Talisman Sabre

Symbolic of the strength in the Australia-US alliance, Raytheon Australia supported the 11th and largest-ever iteration of the biennial exercise, testing multi-domain capabilities including warships, aircraft, armoured vehicles, and artillery provided by the two countries.

TS25 incorporated three weeks of intensive training and high-end warfighting scenarios in Australia and, for the first time, Papua New Guinea with more than 40,000 military and supporting personnel from 19 nations and two observer nations.

Raytheon Australia supported the exercise through on-the-ground support from cross-company efforts as well as simulating realistic threat environments.

Amanda Selway, general manager for Joint Battlespace Systems, and her teams had the opportunity to support the ADF during live firing of the NASAMS, showcasing this capability on the global stage, and the integrated ground-based air and missile defence it generates.

“A pivotal moment at the Bradshaw Field Training Area in the Northern Territory was welcoming Australia’s very own National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System to Talisman Sabre for the first time,” Selway said.

“Our team of Short-Range, Ground-Based Air Defence field service representatives teamed up with key industry partners, setting off from Adelaide to Katherine, Northern Territory, to support Australian Army’s 16th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery.”

Some Raytheon Australia team members integrated with 16 Regiment elements at the Bradshaw Field Training Area to support the AMRAAM live missile firing from NASAMS, while others remained at RAAF Base Tindal to assist other elements of 16 Regiment during their field phase activity.

The success achieved at TS25 was not limited to this team, more than 60 Raytheon Australia employees were deployed from eight programs, to support 15 major systems in the exercise.

The Joint Adversarial Training and Testing Services team deployed the Electronic Warfare Learjet, along with six crew members to Rockhampton, Queensland, to support TS25. The team conducted over 30 sorties in support of Royal Australian Air Force missions, including numerous aerial opposing forces serials, that allowed Defence personnel to experience and react to simulated hostile forces.

Raytheon Australia’s Battle Management System Support Services team of Battle Management Systems Representatives also supported TS25, providing in the field support across Adelaide, Rockhampton, Townsville, Charters Towers, and Darwin.

“Their participation included live fire activities such as the Shoalwater Bay demonstration of the Combined Joint Live Fire Exercise, and for the first time, the establishment of a Land Effects Coordination Centre by Australia’s 10th Brigade in Adelaide,” Selway said.

JP 2072 field service representatives provided Enhanced Position Location Reporting System subject matter expert support for the duration of TS25, travelling to High Range Training Area in Townsville and Shoalwater Bay Training Area to ensure successful employment of the EPLRS as the in-service LandC4 digital data radio.

“Our teams have an enormous breadth of technical experience, which enables us to support the exercise effectively,” Selway said.

Raytheon Australia Air Weapons Ranges Support team also successfully delivered comprehensive and robust ground-based infrastructure at the Bradshaw and Delamere Air Weapons Range.

Delivering surveillance and communications capabilities was essential to the success of TS25, additionally the team also ensured the ranges functioned with a high degree of safety and security. Thirty-two members of Raytheon Australia’s Mobile Training Threat Emitter System (MTTES) team also supported the activity through OPFOR Design and Development support through to delivery of electronic warfare threat emulation effects.

Members of the US’s electronic warfare ranges bolstered training efforts, which were hosted by the Commonwealth to observe MTTES, fostering continued relationship building between the ranges.

After receiving advanced training on a core range simulation tool by the United States electronic warfare ranges team, the MTTES team are ready to deliver future training to the ADF that utilises a variety of functions and capabilities that are yet to be employed.

Members of the Woomera Test Range Support Services team travelled to the Beecroft Weapons Range in New South Wales, the first deployment of a WTRSS instrument outside of South Australia, where the team managed deployment of equipment and range safety functions for trial activities.

Raytheon Australia Managing Director Ohad Katz reaffirmed the importance of highlighting the successes achieved across teams and projects in support of the ADF.

“A massive congratulations to all our teams and programs who participated in Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025, an immense undertaking for all involved and one that ensures an invaluable training experience for the Australian Defence Force,” Katz said.

“On behalf of Raytheon Australia, we also extend our warmest congratulations to the Australian Defence Force for orchestrating and conducting a successful exercise that showcased the collaboration between Defence, Australia’s Allied Forces, and our sovereign defence industry.

“Raytheon Australia’s support to this exercise demonstrates our commitment to delivering sovereign capabilities for our customer and demonstrates how our efforts directly support Australia’s national security,” Katz concluded.