Australia and Philippines launch Alon 25 largest joint force projection near the South China Sea.

On August 15, 2025, one of Australia’s largest overseas military exercises began in the Philippines. Called “Exercise Alon 25,” the training will run until August 29 on the islands of Palawan and Luzon and brings together more than 3,600 personnel from Australia, the Philippines, Canada, and the United States. Designed as a bilateral activity between the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the exercise is supported by the U.S. Marine Rotation Force – Darwin (MRF-D) and the Royal Canadian Navy. Its purpose is to enhance interoperability, strengthen operational readiness, and demonstrate force projection capability in the Indo-Pacific.
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HMAS Brisbane sails in company with Philippine Navy ship BRP Jose Rizal during Exercise ALON 2025. (Picture source: Australian MoD)

First held in 2023 under the Indo-Pacific Endeavour program, Exercise Alon has since become a recurring event highlighting the evolution of the strategic partnership between Canberra and Manila. The initial edition already demonstrated the ability of both countries to conduct complex amphibious operations together. Since then, cooperation has expanded through different bilateral and multilateral frameworks such as Operation Augury, the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Program, and Philippine participation in Australia’s Talisman Sabre, Pitch Black, and Kakadu exercises. The word “Alon,” meaning “wave” in Tagalog, reflects this partnership and its orientation toward protecting state sovereignty, upholding international law, and maintaining decision-making free from coercion.

For this year’s edition, Australia deployed about 1,600 personnel supported by substantial air, naval, and land assets. The structure includes Joint Task Force 661 at Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan, a combined fusion center with the Philippine Western Command, and a directorate headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo in Manila. On the ground, a battle group based on the 8th/9th Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment involves around 390 soldiers, including two infantry companies, a cavalry troop with five Australian light armored vehicles (ASLAV), an artillery battery with two M777 155 mm howitzers, a combat engineer troop, medical teams at Role-1 and Role-2 levels, and a combat service support team. At sea, the Hobart-class destroyer HMAS Brisbane, accompanied by an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter, participates in regional maneuvers, while the Australian Army contributes an additional company from the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment for amphibious operations. In the air, the Royal Australian Air Force employs F/A-18F Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers, and C-130J Hercules, supported by a P-8A Poseidon, KC-30A tankers, and C-17A Globemaster III aircraft to ensure mobility and logistics between Australia and the Philippines.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines are fielding about 1,525 personnel, including units from the 7th Infantry Division, the Armored Division, signals, combat engineers, special operations teams, and medical elements. The Air Force is deploying FA-50PH Fighting Eagle and A-29 Super Tucano aircraft, ground-based radars, and helicopters such as the S-70i Blackhawk, T-129 ATAK, and AW109. The Navy is represented by a Jose Rizal-class guided missile frigate, while the Marine Corps is contributing a brigade and two battalions.

International contributions further expand the scope of the exercise. The Royal Canadian Navy has deployed the Halifax-class frigate HMCS Ville de Québec with an embarked CH-148 Cyclone helicopter and around 180 personnel. The U.S. Marine Corps has committed about 350 personnel from the MRF-D, along with an MV-22B Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft. As early as August 14, Marines and sailors from MRF-D 25.3 were already preparing in Palawan alongside their partners. The MRF-D, a six-month annual deployment, provides a forward postured crisis response force and supports interoperability with the ADF and regional partners.

Planned activities emphasize realistic operational scenarios, including integration of Australian and Philippine special operations forces, amphibious landings, naval maneuvers, the large-scale airlift of an Australian battle group, as well as cooperation in cyber resilience, civil-military engagement, religious and cultural liaison, and military public affairs. Participants will also conduct communication activities, with information directed to mariners and aviators through official channels, and public outreach managed by the AFP. Live-fire exercises will be held both on land and at sea, conducted under safety measures and public notifications to minimize risk while ensuring maximum training value.

Exercise Alon 25 represents the largest joint force projection activity conducted by Australia in the region in recent years. Through the scale of its land, naval, and air components, the active participation of the Philippines, and the involvement of key partners such as Canada and the United States, the exercise underscores the growing importance of regional military cooperation in addressing Indo-Pacific security challenges and affirms the participating nations’ commitment to maintaining a stable, rules-based regional order.