The Armed Forces of the Philippines sailed with the Australian Defence Force (ADF) in waters facing the West Philippine Sea (WPS) on Tuesday, Aug. 19, as part of Exercise Amphibious and Land Operations or ALON25, the largest military exercise between both countries.

The AFP deployed the guided missile frigate BRP Jose Rizal (FF150) while the ADF sent the Hobart-class air warfare destroyer HMAS Brisbane (DDG41) during the joint voyage off Southwest Lubang Island in Occidental Mindoro.

The two forces trained on a range of operations such as personnel transfer drills, Communications Exercise (COMMEX), Officer of the Watch Manning Exercise (OOW MANNEX), Combined Anti-Submarine Exercise (CASEX), night steaming in company, and flight quarters drills.

“The details of the different exercises have increased in magnitude and complexity. This is a good sign that the Armed Forces is now prepared to plug and to play with modern militaries,” AFP spokesperson for WPS Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said.

According to the AFP, both forces enhanced their interoperability, improved their operational readiness, and strengthened their maritime security cooperation.

“We are now looking into, not only sea, air, and land, we have activities that cover cyber. We have activities that cover undersea. We have activities that cover not only kinetic warfare or the traditional approach but also the support and sustainment. So it is covering all the details of a modern military,” Trinidad noted.

More than 3,600 military personnel from the AFP and ADF are participating in Exercise ALON, which kicked off last Aug. 15. There will also be foreign observers from the militaries of the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and Indonesia.

Exercise Alon was first held in 2023 as part of Australia’s Indo-Pacific Endeavour (IPE) program. The exercise successfully demonstrated Australia and the Philippines' ability to practice high-end amphibious warfighting skills together.

The joint patrol came as the country continues to expand its security partnership with “like-minded” nations to bolster its deterrence against China’s presence in the WPS amid ongoing territorial disputes. Australia has been vocal in supporting the Philippines’ position, consistently calling on China to respect the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated Beijing’s sweeping claims.

But China downplayed the impact of Exercise ALON, saying that it “has limited military significance for the Philippines.”