The U.S. military, alongside its international partners, has recently conducted a ‘high-speed test of fire-and-move tactics’ on a secluded island in the Indian Ocean. This move comes amid rising concerns about the potential outbreak of World War III.
This week, Captain Vasily Dandykin, a spokesperson for the Kremlin and military analyst, accused European countries of taking a stand against Russia. His statements have fueled discussions about the possibility of a global conflict.
Captain Dandykin’s alarming remarks followed comments by U.S. President Donald Trump, who expressed dissatisfaction with Russian President Vladimir Putin, hinting at potential sanctions against Russia if peace with Ukraine isn’t achieved.
Building upon past initiatives to enhance range, flexibility, and survivability in weapon deployment, the U.S. military collaborated with its allies to position soldiers on Christmas Island last week.
Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean, was the site where a Royal Canadian Air Force transport aircraft landed on July 13, carrying a U.S. Army High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and numerous Australian soldiers.
This operation, known as Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025, was described by the Australian Government Ministry of Defense as a demonstration of the ‘ability of partner nations to rapidly deploy and employ land-based, long-range precision fires.’
According to Business Insider, the HIMARS launcher, accompanied by a communications vehicle, was transported to a forward airfield before being driven to a mock strike location.
Upon completion of the exercise on July 27, the Air Force C-17A Globemaster III transport aircraft swiftly evacuated vehicles and personnel from the strategic Australian site.
The Australian Ministry of Defense noted that the mission served as a ‘key test’ for Project OPEROSE, which seeks to improve targeting, target prosecution, and the logistics of sustained guided weapons.
Lieutenant Colonel Guelfi, who oversaw the exercise, stated: “Collectively, we have rapidly deployed a HIMARS to demonstrate our ability to put combat power anywhere, at any time of our choosing.”
Royal Australian Navy Commodore Peter Leavy justified the utilization of Christmas Island, saying: “Christmas Island is very strategically positioned in the Indian Ocean and we need to be able to operate here and to protect the territory and the Australian citizens that live here.”
Before Exercise Talisman Sabre, a similar live-fire exercise involving American and Filipino forces was conducted in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, Philippines, on June 30, 2025. The outcome of the missile launch is depicted in the image below.
These exercises follow nearly a year after the U.S. Army deployed resources to Alaska’s Aleutian Islands and conducted a force projection exercise on Shemya Island.
Taking place in September 2024, this event highlighted the ‘US Army Pacific’s ability to move assets adeptly and with little notice into even the most remote locations.’
Similar to the Christmas Island exercise, this operation involved the deployment of a HIMARS platoon, a target acquisition radar, and an infantry security force from the 11th Airborne Division, comprising approximately 130 soldiers.
The Alaskan exercise coincided with Russia’s largest naval drills since the Cold War, extending across the Pacific, Mediterranean Sea, and Arctic Ocean, aimed at assessing combat readiness, as reported by Business Insider.
Earlier this month, Russia’s defense ministry released footage from the Black Sea, showing naval drones, aerial drones, helicopters, and ships in action.
President Putin remarked: “The Navy’s exercise is primarily designed to thoroughly train naval forces in repelling maritime attacks and performing the full range of extremely challenging and unconventional operational and tactical missions, and other tasks in a realistic simulated environment.”