In a wide-ranging interview with Second Line of Defence, the Commanding Office of Okinawa-based 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit has revealed that 10 Boeing MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft from Marine Medium Tilitrotor Squadron (VMM) 265 will deploy to Australia for the forthcoming Exercise Talisman Sabre. It is expected that seven Ospreys will operate from the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS BonHomme Richard (LHD-6) while three others will fly to Australia under their own power.
Some, or all of the Ospreys will then continue training with the Australia-based U.S Marine detachment in Australia's Northern Territories after Talisman Sabre, which runs from July 15 to August 5 2013 and will be held mainly in Northern and Central Queensland. The Marine exercises in the NT are expected to last till September.
This will mark the first visit by the V-22 Osprey and the BonHomme Richard to Australia, with both VMM-265 and the "Bonnie Dick" having arrived on station in MCAS Futenma in Okinawa and Sasebo Naval Base in Japan respectively in 2012. Talisman Sabre is a biennial joint Australia-United States military exercise held in Australia. Other than amphibious forces, recent Talisman Sabre exercises have seen deployments by US Navy carrier groups, land-based Marine F/A-18 Hornets and US Air Force F-15 Eagles. At this moment, it is unclear what other US forces will be involved in Talisman Sabre 2013.
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