Australia’s largest military drills with 19 nations being

This year, more than 35,000 military personnel from 19 nations will take part. FILE PIC/AFP

The largest-ever war-fighting drills in Australia - ‘Exercise Talisman Sabre' - are underway and expected to attract the attention of Chinese spy ships.

Australia, for the first time, launched missiles from its M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, known as HIMARS, on Monday during live-fire exercises at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area, a 4500 sq km Outback expanse in Queensland state. The HIMARS launchers were recently bought from the US. Another first, was India's participation in the exercise.

Talisman Sabre began in 2005 as a biennial joint exercise between the US and Australia. This year, more than 35,000 military personnel from 19 nations, including Canada, Fiji, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Tonga, and the United Kingdom, will take part over three weeks, Australia's defence department said.

The exercise will also take place in Papua New Guinea, Australia's nearest neighbour. It is the first time Talisman Sabre activities have been held outside Australia.

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