An imposing assault ship that cruised past the Sunshine Coast is now among the forces involved in major multi-nation military exercise.
The USS America, one of the most advanced amphibious ships in the US Navy fleet, stunned beachgoers as it sailed by Caloundra en route to Brisbane ahead of Exercise Talisman Sabre – a vast three-week operation involving more than 35,000 troops from 19 nations across Australia.
Locals and tourists were treated to a rare glimpse of the vessel’s sheer scale and power during the school holidays.
Photographer Doug Bazley, of Bluey’s Photography, used his drone to capture images of the ship.
“I managed to send Buzz (a drone) on a mission. These were the best photos on full zoom,” he said of the main picture in this article and the one below.
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Caloundra local Joanne Ingman Jones said the ship’s presence made for an unforgettable scene.
“It was very impressive sailing by. I had my binoculars on it as it passed (and) I could see the aircraft on the decks,” she said on social media.
A US Navy spokeswoman told Sunshine Coast News the 257-metre vessel is the largest of all US amphibious warfare ships and plays a vital role in rapid response and joint operations.
“It currently has 2500 sailors and embarked marines aboard,” she said.
“The USS America is capable of vertical short take-off and landing, short take-off vertical landing, and MV-22B Osprey and helicopter aircraft operations.”
She said the warship – which is believed to be one of several to go past Caloundra recently – also includes extensive onboard medical facilities.
“It has two operating rooms, which make it capable of supporting a wide range of operations, from combat missions to humanitarian assistance and disaster response,” she said.
The vessel went south past Caloundra and arrived in Brisbane on July 9 and departed on July 12, during which time it hosted several community engagement activities and a key trilateral defence meeting.
“America also hosted the signing of the trilateral logistic agreement for cooperation on July 11,” the spokeswoman said.
“This established regular and formal cooperative opportunities of international engagement among the US Navy, Royal Australian Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force to exchange information and explore capability and interoperability opportunities.”
USS America is now taking part in Exercise Talisman Sabre alongside sister ships USS Rushmore and USS San Diego, as part of the America Strike Group.
“This year’s Talisman Sabre is the largest ever and demonstrates our commitment to strengthening partnerships across the Indo-Pacific,” the spokeswoman said.
“Our two nations (United States and Australia) share a long history of security cooperation. Through exercises and engagements, we improve our ability to work together with allies and partners to build collective strength.”
Talisman Sabre officially started on July 13 and will run through to August 4. It includes live-fire exercises, amphibious landings, air and maritime operations, and training across land, sea, air, cyber and space domains.
Operations span locations across Queensland, Western Australia, New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Christmas Island and Papua New Guinea, with several new Australian capabilities on show, including UH-60M Black Hawks and the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System.
