SAN VICENTE, Palawan/CAMP AGUINALDO, Quezon City – Simulated coordinated naval gunfire support, amphibious island assault, maritime strike missions, and airfield seizure.

These air, sea and land scenarios aimed at securing littoral terrain in contested environments in San Vicente, Palawan and the West Philippine Sea were featured during the Combined Joint Forcible Entry Operations (CJFEO) for Exercise ALON 2025 of the Philippine and Australian forces.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles witnessed the exercises which they described as an “impressive” display of interoperability between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Australian Defense Force (ADF).

The drills, staged along San Vicente, Palawan’s 14-kilometer Long Beach, featured amphibious and land operations supported by naval, air and ground assets.

It simulated coordinated naval gunfire support, amphibious assault, maritime strike missions, and airfield seizure — scenarios aimed at securing littoral terrain in contested environments.

“The exercise was very, very impressive,” Teodoro said. “You saw that the coordination between both the Australian and the Philippine forces was smooth. So, we hope to be able to logisticize and to think of new scenarios as it evolves.”

Marles praised the planning and execution, stressing that the joint training strengthens the ability of both countries to work seamlessly in real-world operations.

“This is about building the interoperability between two countries which share values and have one intent, and that is to uphold the rules-based order in this region,” Marles said.

Exercise ALON 2025 from Aug. 15 to 29 is within the AFP’s Northern and Western Command joint operational areas.

Around 3,600 personnel from the AFP, ADF, United States Marine Corps and Royal Canadian Navy are participating in the drills.Earlier, amid heightened tensions in South China Sea, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), together with the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), held a maritime cooperative activity under Exercise Alon over the weekend in the West Philippine Sea, west southwest of El Nido, Palawan.

Participating warships included the Philippine Navy’s flagship BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150), the Royal Australian Navy’s HMAS Brisbane (DDG-41), and the Royal Canadian Navy’s HMCS Ville de Québec (FFH-332).

The exercise featured helicopter cross-deck landings, personnel transfers via MH-60 Seahawk and rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs), as well as ship-to-ship interoperability drills.

The AFP said the engagement “reflects a shared resolve to uphold a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific and reinforces the commitment of the Philippines, Australia, and Canada to promote freedom of navigation, regional stability, and collective maritime security.”

The joint sail comes a day after the 2nd Philippines–Australia Defense Ministers’ Meeting in Manila, where Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles reaffirmed defense cooperation as a vital pillar of the Philippines–Australia strategic partnership.

In a joint statement, both sides “underscored the importance of a secure and stable Indo-Pacific region where sovereignty is respected, international law is adhered to, and nations exercise their rights free from coercion.”

They also “expressed serious concern over the situation in the South China Sea, particularly dangerous and coercive actions by China against Philippine vessels,” stressing that the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Tribunal Award is final and binding on the parties.

Teodoro and Marles said they “resolved to continue working together to uphold international law and support regional maritime security,” while committing to deepen collaboration under existing agreements such as the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) and the Mutual Logistic Support Arrangement (MLSA).

They also welcomed “new cooperation on defense infrastructure development in the Philippines,” projects that will “increase our combined collective capability, enhance interoperability, and strengthen bilateral and multilateral defense cooperation.”

Exercise Alon has emerged as the flagship bilateral drill between Manila and Canberra, complementing the Philippines’ debut participation in Australia’s large-scale Talisman Sabre 2025 earlier this year. For Australia, it is the largest overseas military exercise in 2025, reflecting Canberra’s commitment to building defense partnerships in the region.

The defense officials also vowed to meet again next year for the 3rd Philippines and Australia Defense Ministers Meeting as both countries look to further deepen defense ties.

Secretary Teodoro and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister  Marles witnessed what they described as an “impressive” display of interoperability between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Australian Defense Force (ADF)