Talisman Sabre 09
 

Found some info on another forum and hereby acknowledge its origin and poster of information, if any of you guys are interested.

6-26 July

Looks like there will be plenty to see for people on the top end! Hope someone there is able to get some pics when it eventually comes around

I'm now tossing up whether to go to townsville for the thunderbirds(?) or head up to darwin for a week?. I'd be looking forward to see the F'15s do what they did at Williamtown last year! Chest rattling!

TS09 Draft Basing / Participation

Darwin

8 x RAAF F-18

12 x USAF F-15C

6 x USAF KC-135

1 x USAF E3 AWACS

2 x USN COD

2 x USN HH-60H

C-17 / C-130 Transits

Tindal

8 x RAAF F-111

12 x RAAF F-18

1 C-130

2 x USAF C-17

C-17 / C-130 Transits

Townsville

2 x RAAF P-3

2 x RAAF DH4

1 x USN P-3

12 x USMC F-18

2 x USMC KC-130

C-17 / C-130 / KC-10 Transits

Rocky

2 x RAAF DH4

2 x USN MH-53E

C-17 / C-130 Transits

Amberley

C-17 / C-130 Transits

Richmond

6 x RAAF C-130

2 x USAF C-130J

2 x USAF HC-130

1 x USAF C-130E

Andersen (Guam)

2 x USAF B-52 participating

Looks good a couple of trips to Richmond sound good during this time.

Richmond should be good for sure. I'll be on hols then too so anytime suits me! Just wish i could find out when things will start moving through there that's all.

If Pitch Black is anything to go by, it'll be great. Was more Aircraft at Pitch Black however.

Official website for the Exercise is:

http://www.defence.gov.au/opEx/exercises/ts09/index.htm

Over the course of a weekend spent in Rocky during TS07 there were some fantastic movements. The highlight for me were the CH-46 Sea Knights!

There were 2 x Greyhounds from the US Navy (USS Kittyhawk) and 2 KC-130's from the US Marine Corps based at the airport for the duration of the exercise and we were told there had been countless other US and RAAF movements.

We're heading up for a week this time around and my hope is that I'll finally get to see a CH-53 Sea Stallion in action and from the local forces some Caribou movements would be ace. Any helo movements would be viewed favourably!

Brisbane was a hive of activity during TS07 with 3 x KC-135 and 1 x E-3 Sentry based out of the old International apron area. There were also ad hoc movements by other US military types both prior, during and post Exercise. All aircraft fly daily with the E-3 generally departing in the morning and returning in the afternoon around sunset.

Williamtown, from memory, was home to a USN Orion that made the daily trek North to be part of the goings on.

I have no doubt that this thread will grow in size and be one of the most informative and interesting for this year.

Any idea when we can start seeing some movements up the top end and if any along the east coast with it being under a month till kick-off now?

I was going to make a comment about movements usually happening at the bottom end, but thought better of it...oops too late!

The foreign stuff should start arriving in the week before the exercise kicks off. RAAF Hornets and Pigs should start ramping up before that as they have famil flights over the exercise areas and practice blue force package flying.

Thanks Andrew. I'll wait a little while longer then.

Do they normally fly in direct to say Amberley and the other northern bases or will they use places like Brisbane/Richmond/Williamtown as fuel stops from Hawaii?

Hey Gerard when you decide what dates you want to head out give me a yell and if i am off i will come out.Thanks Andrew

As Craig said above, you'll see some of the heavier metal at airports and air bases throughout the exercise. They won't refuel when coming "from" Hawaii or wherever, but they might on the way home if they're really heavy.