Australia is currently hosting its largest-ever military drills, called Exercise Talisman Sabre, with over 35,000 personnel from 19 nations participating in the war-fighting exercises. The drills include live-fire exercises utilizing the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) in the Outback expanse of Queensland state. Talisman Sabre, initiated in 2005 as a joint exercise between the U.S. and Australia, now involves military personnel from countries like Canada, Japan, and the United Kingdom. The current exercises are also being monitored by Chinese surveillance ships as a routine observation practice in previous years.