Rocket launch demonstration off Jervis Bay shows military might as part of Talisman Sabre
Japan's Self-Defense Force (JSDF) first conducted a live fire demonstration of Type 12 surface-to-ship missile at a weapons range in Jervis Bay during exercise Talisman Sabre, 2023.
This time around, they had more to show.
"Last time it was about proving we could fire the missile in the Southern Hemisphere just to ensure the range apparatus and the safety mechanisms," Talisman Sabre exercise director Brigadier Damian Hill said.
"The Japanese have [today] fired two sea-skimming missiles moving 10 to 15 miles as the crow flies, about 70 miles through different types of terrain.
"Both missiles fired with different trajectories and hit the target at the same time."
Brigadier Hill said the JSDF had brought a level of sophistication the defence force had not seen from the Japanese military before.
Talisman Sabre is Australia's largest military exercise and is designed to show military strength and a commitment to peace and protection in the Indo–Pacific region.
It started as a bilateral partnership between the United States and has grown to involve 19 countries and more than 40,000 personnel.
For the first time this year, Papua New Guinea has joined.
Brigadier Hill said the Australian and Japanese forces had strengthened defence ties since their involvement with Talisman Sabre as an observer back in 2017.
"There are over 1,500 Japanese personnel here undertaking the live firing," he said.
While Chinese surveillance ships have again monitored the activities of Talisman Sabre, Brigadier Hill said the exercise was not about sending a military warning to specific countries.
The 11th iteration of the three-week Talisman Sabre has been running across north-eastern parts of Australia, including for the first time at Christmas Island, and is expected to finish next week.
Brigadier Hill said the exercise involved training against potential threats on air, land and water as well as cyber and space.
He said, for the first time, Australia launched its own HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems) able to reach up to 400 kilometres.
This happened alongside the US and Singapore forces during training in Queensland last week.
"I think it's demonstrating our ability to modernise at speed," Brigadier Hill said.
"Our HIMARS arrived in Australia earlier this year and we've got proficient crews and capacities to live fire within months.
"I think that shows a little bit about how fast we're modernising."
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