Germany is, for the first time, sending 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 region amid rising tensions with China.
In recent years, Germany has had a greater military presence in the Indo-Pacific region, even as this means walking a tightrope between its security and economic interests.
“It is a region of extremely high importance for us in Germany. as well as for the European Union due to the economic interdependencies,” German Army Chief Lieutenant General Alfons Mais said in an interview published yesterday, hours before the first German troops were to leave for Australia.
Photo: Reuters
China is Berlin’s most important trading partner, and 40 percent of Europe’s foreign trade flows through the South China Sea, a waterway that is a focal point for territorial disputes in the Indo-Pacific region.
In 2021, a German warship sailed into the South China Sea for the first time in almost 20 years. Last year, Berlin sent 13 military aircraft to joint exercises in Australia, the air force’s largest peacetime deployment.
Mais said up to 240 German soldiers, among them 170 paratroopers and 40 marines, are to take part in the Talisman Sabre exercise from Saturday next week to Aug. 4, the largest drills between Australia and the US, which are held biannually.
The Germans are to 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 stabilizing the rules-based order in the region,” Mais said.
When asked what message the first deployment of German troops to Australia was meant to send to China, he said Berlin did not aim to antagonize anybody.
“It generally makes sense to get to know the perspective others have upon the world,” he said, adding that the current security challenges were much less clear-cut than before 1990.
“The Cold War was easy, it was a bipolar world. Today, we can no longer focus on Europe only... We have to position ourselves much more broadly,” he said.
Mais plans to visit the German troops in Australia and a Rheinmetall plant assembling Boxer armored transport vehicles for both armies in the middle of this month, before going on to Japan and Singapore.
“Japan is a partner that holds a lot of potential for a deepening of our bilateral military cooperation,” he said.
As for Talisman Sabre, the German troops already have orders to return to Australia for the next exercise in 2025.
DETERRENCE: With 1,000 indigenous Hsiung Feng II and III missiles and 400 Harpoon missiles, the nation would boast the highest anti-ship missile density in the world With Taiwan wrapping up mass production of Hsiung Feng II and III missiles by December and an influx of Harpoon missiles from the US, Taiwan would have the highest density of anti-ship missiles in the world, a source said yesterday. Taiwan is to wrap up mass production of the indigenous anti-ship missiles by the end of year, as the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology has been meeting production targets ahead of schedule, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said. Combined with the 400 Harpoon anti-ship missiles Taiwan expects to receive from the US by 2028, the nation would have
North Korea yesterday fired about 10 ballistic missiles to the sea toward Japan, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, days after Pyongyang warned of “terrible consequences” over ongoing South Korea-US military drills. Pyongyang recently dashed hopes of a diplomatic thaw with Seoul, Washington’s security ally, describing its latest peace efforts as a “clumsy, deceptive farce.” Seoul’s military detected “around 10 ballistic missiles launched from the Sunan area in North Korea toward the East Sea [Sea of Japan] at around 1:20pm,” JCS said in a statement, referring to South Korea’s name for the body of water. The missiles
‘UNWAVERING FRIENDSHIP’: A representative of a Japanese group that co-organized a memorial, said he hopes Japanese never forget Taiwan’s kindness President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday marked the 15th anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, urging continued cooperation between Taiwan and Japan on disaster prevention and humanitarian assistance. Lai wrote on social media that Taiwan and Japan have always helped each other in the aftermath of major disasters. The magnitude 9 earthquake struck northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011, triggering a massive tsunami that claimed more than 19,000 lives, according to data from Japanese authorities. Following the disaster, Taiwan donated more than US$240 million in aid, making it one of the largest contributors of financial assistance to Japan. In addition to cash donations and
North Korea tested nuclear-capable rocket launchers, state media reported yesterday, a day after Seoul detected the launch of about 10 ballistic missiles. The test comes after South Korean and US forces launched their springtime military drills, due to run until Thursday. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Saturday oversaw the testing of the multiple rocket launcher system (MRLS), the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The test involved 12 600mm-caliber ultra-precision multiple rocket launchers and two artillery companies, it said. Kim said the drill gave Pyongyang’s enemies, within the 420km striking range, a sense of “uneasiness” and “a deep understanding
RSS