Chinese academics take aim at Australia over hosting US missile during war games Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025
This year's edition of Exercise Talisman Sabre saw the US military debut its Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), also referred to as the Dark Eagle, for the first time outside of the US mainland.
US Army Pacific, a branch of army in the Indo-Pacific, earlier this month said showcasing the weapon in the Northern Territory was a "historic milestone" and that it marked a "significant achievement for US Indo-Pacific Command".
Chinese academics have since taken aim at the incident, with East China Normal University Australia analyst Chen Hong making bold claims about Australia-US military ties.
'Australia has not only already been a tool of the US Indo-Pacific strategy, but is increasingly becoming both a strategic and tactical weapon for Washington across multiple aspects,' Mr Hong reportedly told the Hong Kong-based South China Post.
Shanghai Fudan University strategist Xin Qiang told the publication that China-US military tensions were now "likely to further intensify".
'I think China will certainly maintain a high level of alertness and attention to this,' the academic said.
'The military and security rivalry or competition between China and the US in the Indo-Pacific is likely to further intensify."
Commander of US Indo-Pacific Command Admiral Samuel J. Paparo described Australia a "key ally" as he hailed the missile's appearance in the region.
"The deployment of the LRHW system to Australia marks a significant achievement for US Indo-Pacific Command, as it validates the Army's ability to deploy, position, and exercise command and control (C2) of the system in a forward environment," Admiral Samuel J. Paparo said in a statement on August 2.
'The exercise demonstrates the Combatant Command's capacity to project power and support the defense of Australia, a key ally in the region.'
More than 30,000 military personnel from 19 countries had been expected to take part in this year's Exercise Talisman Sabre between July 13 and August 4, according to the Australian Defence Force.
The focus on this year's exercise was on multi-domain warfighting.
Actives took place across the Northern Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and on Christmas Island.
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