GERMANY: Germany, for the first time, is set to deploy its military personnel to Australia as part of collaborative exercises involving 30,000 service members from 12 other countries, underscoring Berlin’s inflated focus on the Indo-Pacific amid escalating tensions with China in the region.
In recent years, Germany has boosted its military presence in the Indo-Pacific, reflecting the delicate balance it must strike between safeguarding its security and economic interests.
Due to the economic interdependencies, it is a region that is incredibly important to both the European Union and Germany, according to the Army Chief Alfons Mais in an interview with the UK-based media on Monday, hours before the departure of the initial contingent of German troops to Australia.
With China being Berlin’s primary trading partner and around 40% of Europe’s foreign trade passing through the South China Sea, this maritime route becomes a critical focal point for territorial conflicts in the Indo-Pacific.
In 2021, after a gap of nearly two decades, a German warship ventured into the South China Sea. Additionally, last year, Berlin dispatched 13 military aircraft to participate in joint exercises held in Australia, marking the largest peacetime deployment by the German air force.
According to Mais, the Talisman Sabre exercise, the largest military exercise between Australia and the United States done twice a year, will involve some 240 German soldiers, including 170 paratroopers and 40 marines, from July 22 to August 4.
The German soldiers will receive training in jungle combat and landing operations alongside troops from countries such as Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, France, and the United Kingdom.
“We aim to demonstrate that we are reliable and capable partners that contribute to stabilising the rules-based order in the region”, Mais said.
When questioned about the intention behind Germany’s first deployment of troops to Australia and its significance in relation to China, he emphasised that Berlin did not intend to provoke anyone.
The lieutenant general said, “It generally makes sense to get to know the perspective others have on the world,” adding that the security challenges of today are more complex compared to the period 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,” the army chief said.
Mais has plans to visit the German troops stationed in Australia in the middle of July, as well as a Rheinmetall (RHMG.DE) facility where the Boxer armoured transport vehicles that will be used by both armies are being put together. He will then carry on his voyage to Japan and Singapore after that.
Japan is a partner that holds a lot of potential for a deepening of our bilateral military cooperation. Regarding Talisman Sabre, the German forces have already been instructed to reunite in Australia for the subsequent exercise scheduled for 2025.
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