Inside The Mega Military Collab Where Singapore Finally Got To Play
This story is part of our series uncovering the Singapore Armed Forces’ overseas exercises, where our defenders train far from home to keep us safe in the Lion City.
Forget the usual camp drills. This was on a whole different scale. Picture this: 40,000 military personnel, cutting-edge military hardware, and training grounds stretching across Australia.
For the first time ever, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) wasn’t just there to watch. At Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025, one of the world’s biggest multinational war games, the SAF stepped up as a full-fledged participant.
Personnel from the Singapore Army preparing their HIMARS prior to the live-firing during the exercise. | IMAGE: MINDEF
What exactly is Exercise Talisman Sabre?
Exercise Talisman Sabre (XTS) is a large-scale military exercise that's jointly organised by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), with multinational participation. Held biennially since 2005, leadership of XTS switches between Australia and the US every two years.
XTS is one of the largest multinational exercises in the Asia-Pacific, aiming to strengthen interoperability, professionalism, and defence relations among the participating armed forces.
2025: The year Singapore stepped in
XTS 2025 took place from 13 July to 4 August 2025, marking the 11th iteration of this exercise.
A total of 19 nations participated in the exercise, including Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Britain and Japan.
The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) participated in XTS 2025 from 13 to 28 July, making this the first time that Singapore attended as a participant rather than an observer country.
The Singapore Army HIMARS participating in the combined joint live-firing at Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025. | IMAGE: ADF MEDIA
Who and what we brought to the “fight”
Over 100 SAF personnel, two High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), and two CH-47F Chinook helicopters were deployed alongside 40,000 personnel from 18 other partner nations.
Teams from the SAF’s Special Operations Task Force (SOTF), Special Operations Aviation Task Group (SOATG), medical and information domains also participated in integrated training with partner forces.
Why it matters for Singapore
“We value such multilateral training opportunities which allow the SAF to enhance interoperability and deepen mutual understanding with partner militaries,” said Commander 6th Singapore Division/ Headquarters Sense and Strike, Brigadier-General (BG) Anand Sathi Kumar.
“Such opportunities will further hone the SAF’s tactical competencies, demonstrate our soldiers’ professionalism, and build enduring friendships with partner nations.”
For the latest updates on Wonderwall.sg, be sure to follow us on TikTok, Telegram, Instagram, and Facebook. If you have a story idea for us, email us at [email protected].
