More than 650 military personnel including US Marines and sailors have joined Japanese and Australian soldiers for a large-scale, live-fire training exercise this month.

The exercise, which will include live firing, comprises 400 Australian Defence Force (ADF) soldiers, 190 US Marines from Marine Rotational Force Darwin (MRF-D) and 70 soldiers from the Japanese Ground Self Defence Force (JGSDF).

It started Monday and is scheduled to take place throughout the heritage-listed, 453,700 hectare Shoalwater Bay Military Training area, about 80km north of Rockhampton in Central Queensland, through to May 27.

Brigadier Michael Say, Commander of the Brisbane-based 7th Combat Brigade, said the combined arms exercise would include tank integration and live fire between infantries.

The governor of the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa says Australian Defence Force personnel are not welcome on the 150 islands he administers, as fears grow that rising tensions between China and US allies will lead to conflict in the region.

Denny Tamaki, the top official in the region who is up for re-election this year, said in an interview that he was worried the existing concentration of US forces had already made the islands a target for hostile forces.

He said the Okinawan people did not support Australian or other foreign defence personnel holding joint military exercises in Okinawa. Australia and Japan signed a defence deal in January that will open the way for their forces to step up training and host each other’s military.

“As the governor here, I would say that many people in Okinawa would oppose having Australian Defence Forces being stationed here, even temporarily, or to use a base in Okinawa where 70 per cent of the US forces in Japan have already been concentrated.”

JAPANESE troops have arrived in Darwin ahead of the trilateral Exercise Southern Jackaroo 2021, joining US Marines already undertaking training in the region.

The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) soldiers will join their counterparts from Australia and the United States for the exercise in the Northern Territory June 15-25.

“The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and the Marine Rotational Force – Darwin will bring more equipment this year, allowing for a more complex exercise to advance our ability to work together,” Lieutenant General Burr said.

The Navy and Marine Corps in Japan moved Thursday to isolate and track coronavirus cases that have popped up on their installations on Okinawa and just outside Tokyo.

Meanwhile, the governor of Tokyo reported 224 new infections in the metro area Thursday, a surge that exceeded the previous high of 206 on April 17.

For a second time this week, an undisclosed number of people associated with the Marine Corps on Okinawa tested positive for the virus, adding to the number of cases there, according to a Thursday news release from Marine Corps Installations Pacific.

On Okinawa, the Marines on Thursday would not specify how many people tested positive, only that they fell under the status of forces agreement and were on installations that comprise the widespread Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler.

PITCH Black, the Royal Australian Air Force’s largest international air engagement exercise, has been shot down by COVID-19.

Australian Defence confirmed on Tuesday that the Territory military exercise will not be conducted this year due to the coronavirus crisis.

Pitch Black hosts up to 3500 personnel and up to 120 aircraft from around the globe including participants from Australia, Canada, France (New Caledonia), Germany, Indonesia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Republic of Korea and the United States.

Japan was to be participating for the first time in 2020.

The cancellation of Pitch Black follows on the back of the announcement that Australia’s largest army exercise for this year, Exercise Hamel, has been cancelled.