Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Robert Chipman, recently visited Weipa in preparation for Exercise Talisman Sabre.
DON’T be alarmed if you start seeing army vehicles in town and navy ships in the port, says Weipa Town Authority chairman Michael Rowland.
Their presence is to prepare for Exercise Talisman Sabre, Australia’s biggest joint training exercise with the United States.
Weipa will play a big role this year, both through RAAF Base Scherger and the port.
“It doesn’t start until the end of the month but you’ll see trucks and increased activity around town as Defence gears up for the exercise. I caught up with the Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Robert Chipman last week and he said to expect to see a navy boat in the harbour this week,” Mr Rowland said.
It will be mostly American troops in Weipa when the exercise begins, although there should also be a significant number of Australian soldiers.
Mr Rowland said he was glad Weipa was being utilised for Talisman Sabre and hoped things went well so that Scherger would be used more often.
“We’ve had this sleeping giant here for 20 years and I told Air Marshal Chipman that it was about time it was woken up and put to use,” he said of the Scherger base.
