(24 Aug 2006)
1. Japanese Self Defence force helicopter firing at target
2. Wide of helicopter with target and tracers visible
3. Cutaway of crowd watching
4. Wide cutaway of crowd
5. Tracking shot of self propelled artillery gun
6. Tracking shot of tank
7. Artillery gun firing
8. Wide of armoured personnel carriers
9. Helicopter flying over exercise area, turning towards camera
10. Four Japanese solders roped together lifted by helicopter, pull back to show helicopter
11. Soldiers attached by rope to helicopter
12. Armoured vehicle firing rocket, tracking rocket to explosion on target
13. Tanks moving in convoy, tank firing gun
14. Wide of tanks firing
15. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Vox Pop:
"It (Japanese Self Defence Force) should be contributing internationally. There is not much difference between a self defence force and the military, so I think they should show off the power these troops possess."
16. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Vox Pop:
"As for how I see the drill, they make me feel secure."
17. Rocket firing, tracking shot of rocket, munitions fall to the ground followed by explosions
STORYLINE:
Japanese Self Defence Forces demonstrated their military readiness in an annual drill at the foot of Mount Fuji on Thursday.
The exercise is the country's largest open to the public and involved some 2,000 soldiers, 60 tanks, 20 aircraft and 400 other military vehicles.
Around 22,000 people came to watch the force in action, including American troops who were invited to view the exercise.
An F2 warplane, a joint development between Japan and the United States, was included in the drill for the first time, but to the disappointment of the crowd, low cloud kept the fighter out of sight.
The drill followed last month's withdrawal of 600 Japanese troops from the southern Iraqi city of Samawah.
The soldiers were involved in humanitarian projects in Iraq for the past two-and-a-half years.
Tokyo has now stepped up its airlift capability from Kuwait in support of US-led forces operating in Iraq.
Japan has around 200 troops and three transport planes based in Kuwait.
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