(b) Jim Breen online Japanese dictionary:
* 準同盟国 (some news reports in Japan use 準同盟; neither terms appear in the dictionary.)
^ jūn 準
^ dō-mei-koku同盟国 【どうめいこく】 (n) ally (of another nation)
* hohei 歩兵 【ほへい】 (n): "infantry; infantryman; foot soldier" (Again, "ei" denotes a long vowel of "e"--which does not exist in English)
* hutsūka 普通科
* rentai 連隊(P); 聯隊 【れんたい】 (n): "regiment"
(c) "陆上自卫队派出西部方面普通科连队（简称西普连 [kanji: 西普連], 位于长崎县佐世保市）参加军演。西普连是将于2017年末组建的水陆机动团的中坚力量，承担夺回被敌国占领的离岛的作战任务，可以说是日本版海上陆战队。"
(i) Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF 自衛隊) is made up of Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) 陸上自衛隊, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF 海上自衛隊) and Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF 航空自衛隊). No marines so far, yet 西部方面隊 is to defend islands of Okinawa.
(ii) 陸上自衛隊 is composed of
(A) Northern Army (NA 北部方面隊（in charge of 北海道地方） )
(B) Northeastern Army (NEA 東北方面隊（東北地方）)
(C) Eastern Army (EA 東部方面隊（関東 etc）
(D) Middle Army (MA 中部方面隊（近畿地方 etc)
(E) Western Army (WA 西部方面隊（九州・沖縄))
* View the map in 方面隊 https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/方面隊
, which is pronounced "hōmentai."
(iii) Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution: "Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes. In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized." (official translation)
日本国憲法第9条: "日本国民は、正義と秩序を基調とする国際平和を誠実に希求し、国権の発動たる戦争と、武力による威嚇又は武力の行使は、国際紛争を解決する手段としては、永久にこれを放棄する。 前項の目的を達するため、陸海空軍その他の戦力は、これを保持しない。国の交戦権は、これを認めない。 "
(iv) Thus 陸上自衛隊 has普通科部隊 (普通科 for short), in lieu of 歩兵(科).
This is the spelling in UK and Australia. American spelling is “saber.” (As is said in section 1 Etymology of the Wikipedia page, the immediate predecessor is French noun masculine “sabre.”)
(ii) Talisman Sabre started in 2005. Wikipedia
(iii) FAQs. In Exercise Talisman Saber. Department of Defense, Australia, undated. www.defence.gov.au/Exercises/TS15/FAQs.asp
two consecutive Q&A:
“Q. Does the name of the exercise have any significance?
A. As this is a joint exercise, the Australians provided the word ‘Talisman’ and the US provided the word ‘Sabre’. There is no symbolic meaning in the name.
“Q. What’s it called? Is it Saber or Sabre?
A. Australia is the lead planning authority for Talisman Sabre 2013. As such, this year it is Sabre, not Saber.