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Australia, U.S. start biennual military drill

Xinhua, July 5, 2015 Adjust font size:

Australia and its major ally the United States kicked off their biennial joint military exercise " Talisman Sabre" on Sunday in northern areas of Australia.

The two-week exercise, involving up to 30,000 Australian and U. S. defense personnel, will be staged in Queensland and Northern Territory.

It is the first time that Japan has taken part in this major Australia-U.S. joint military exercise. New Zealand also sent military personnel.

Australian Department of Defense said Talisman Sabre 15 will incorporate force preparation activities, special forces activities, amphibious landings, parachuting, land force maneuver, urban operations, air operations, maritime operations and the coordinated firing of live ammunition and explosive ordnance from small arms, artillery, naval vessels and aircraft.

"It is a very, very important alliance. It's a very important relationship and right now we are facing quite significant challenges in many parts of the world but particularly in the Middle East," Prime Minister Tony Abbott said when boarding the USS Blue Ridge in Sydney on Friday.

The Talisman Sabre series of exercises are a major Australian and U.S. military training exercise focused on the planning and conduct of mid-intensity "high end" warfighting. This will be the sixth time the Exercise has been conducted. Endi