Joselito Malig

Article (news)

Ched Rick Gatchalian

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1755260461672532244450_1152059640289778_8778440035121001033_n.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., Deputy Ambassador of Australia to the Philippines Dr. Moya Collett, and ADF Deputy Chief of Joint Operations MGen Hugh McAslan attended the opening ceremony of Exercise Alon 2025 held in Puerto Princesa, Palawan on August 15, 2025. <em>Facebook/Armed Forces of the Philippines</em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — Thousands of personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Australian Defence Force (ADF) will start training together on Friday across key locations in Palawan at Luzon, as part of Exercise Amphibious and Land Operations (Alon) 2025 which will run until August 29.</p><p>Alon is a Filipino word for &quot;wave&quot;, representing the bilateral defense exercise that unites the Philippines and Australia <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/08/21/23/australias-biggest-warship-deployed-in-ph-drills">since the activity&#x27;s inception in 2023.</a></p><p>AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., Deputy Ambassador of Australia to the Philippines Dr. Moya Collett, and ADF Deputy Chief of Joint Operations MGen Hugh McAslan attended the opening ceremony held in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. </p><p>“The ALON flag represents our unity of purpose—our readiness to sail and march together in defense of peace,” Brawner said during his remarks. </p><p>“The patches now worn by our troops are a mark of belonging—to a team that crosses national borders, speaks the same language of duty, and shares the same mission,&quot; he added.</p><p>In a release, ADF Chief of Joint Operations Vice Admiral Justin Jones said Exercise Alon 2025 demonstrates the strength of Australian and Philippines&#x27; defense partnership.</p><p>“We’re proud to conduct our largest overseas exercise with the Philippines, and continue to build on our close cooperation,” he stressed. “Exercise Alon 25 is an opportunity for us to practice how we collaborate and respond to shared security challenges, and project force over great distances in the Indo-Pacific.” </p><p>Both the Philippines and Australia commit to maintain a free and secure Indo-pacific region where &quot;state sovereignty is protected, international law is followed and nations can make decisions free from coercion.” </p><p>ADF said from its first iteration in 2023, Exercise Alon has &quot;grown to incorporate training across the maritime, sea and air domains, with essential support from cyber and space domains.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/06/05/23/ph-australia-to-hold-15-defense-drills-in-2024-army">Philippines, Australia to hold 15 defense drills in 2024: army</a></div><div><strong>MORE THAN 3,600 PARTICIPANTS</strong></div><p>More than 3,600 AFP and ADF personnel are participating in Exercise Alon 2025, while members of the Royal Canadian Navy and the United States Marine Corps’ Marine Rotation Force – Darwin are joining as well.</p><p>In the same release, ADF said it is deploying Australian Amphibious Force Joint Task Force Headquarters, Navy’s Hobart-class destroyer, HMAS Brisbane, an Army combined Arms Land Task Group and an Air Task Group of Super Hornets, Growlers and Hercules aircraft for the joint exercise.</p><p> &quot;Exercise Alon 25 will see the ADF practice its joint force projection through the mass airlift of an Army battle group, comprising armored, engineering, health and artillery elements,&quot; ADF explained. &quot;Participating nations will also conduct amphibious landing operations and maritime maneuvers.</p><p>Jones also shared a positive outlook on the exercise&#x27;s impact to the troops of both countries.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/video/news/05/18/23/ph-australia-agree-to-boost-cooperation-on-maritime-security">PH, Australia agree to boost cooperation on defense, trade, maritime security</a></div><p> “We will come away from Exercise Alon 25 with experience that will enhance our interoperability with the Philippines, and ensure that we can work together in support regional security, Jones said.</p><p>Live fire exercises at military training ranges and maritime areas are expected at Exercise Alon 2025.</p><p>Authorities affirmed that these activities will be conducted with due regard to the participants&#x27; safety.</p><div> <strong>PH DEFENSE BUSY CATCHING UP ON DEVELOPMENT</strong></div><p>Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro emphasized the need of the department to establish the country&#x27;s credible defense posture during his speaking engagement during the US-ASEAN Business Council 2025 Aerospace, Defense and Security (ADS) Mission to the Philippines on Thursday.</p><p>Representatives from major US finance, defense, and security companies attended the event that seeks to contextualize the Philippines&#x27; defense capability build-up, along with regional and global risks it is facing.</p><p>Teodoro noted the complex geopolitical and socio-economic realities faced by the country.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/15/pcg-2-chinese-vessels-involved-in-collision-bound-for-mainland-1900">PCG: 2 Chinese vessels involved in collision bound for mainland</a></div><p>He said, credible deterrence &quot;is a cost saving measure and not a cost substitution measure. You can never escape the hard fact that sooner or later, your lack of substance will catch up with you.&quot;</p><p>&quot;The Philippine defense system now is busy catching up on infrastructure development, our strategic basing, warehousing, quality storage, adequate infrastructure that is of military grade, military use facilities that are secure, resilient, and as located as near as possible to our choke points,&quot; Teodoro explained.</p><p>He said the AFP&#x27;s role now is to provide &quot;as much deterrence as possible&quot; to give the President, the country&#x27;s diplomat and crucial sectors an opportunity to have a &quot;big toolkit&quot; that can protect the Philippines&#x27; interests peacefully.</p><p>Teodoro said a &quot;soft win&quot; is not permanent and that the country is working to have a &quot;firm win.&quot;</p><p>&quot;For me, the win is nobody touches the Philippines – whoever it may be,&quot; he emphasized.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/8/15/ph-not-responsible-for-chinese-ship-collision-in-bajo-de-masinloc-dfa-1130">PH not responsible for Chinese ship collision in Bajo de Masinloc: DFA</a></div><p>At present, the Philippine Coast Guard said four Chinese Coast Guard vessels remain illegally positioned in all four directions of Bajo de Masinloc, which is within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone. </p><p>PCG said the two Chinese vessels that recently collided while pursuing the BRP Suluan are already heading back to mainland China for possible repair or administrative concerns.</p>

<p>Thousands of personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Australian Defence Force (ADF) will start training together on Friday across key locations in Palawan at Luzon, as part of Exercise Amphibious and Land Operations (Alon) 2025 which will run until August 29.</p>

Thousands of personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Australian Defence Force (ADF) will start training together on Friday across key locations in Palawan at Luzon, as part of Exercise Amphibious and Land Operations (Alon) 2025 which will run until August 29.

Australian Defence Force holds its 'largest overseas exercise' with AFP

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Australian Defence Force holds its 'largest overseas exercise' with AFP

Ched Rick Gatchalian,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 15, 2025 09:35 PM PHT

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