PH, Australia start ‘Exercise Alon’ with US, Canadian observers
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Australian Defence Force (ADF) opened on Friday “Exercise Amphibious and Land Operations” (Alon), the largest and most complex iteration of the bilateral defense drill since its launch in 2023.
The two-week multinational exercise, which runs through Aug. 29 in Palawan and Luzon, brings together over 3,600 military personnel from the AFP, ADF, United States Marine Corps’ Marine Rotational Force–Darwin and the Royal Canadian Navy.
The opening ceremony in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, was attended by AFP chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., Deputy Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Dr. Moya Collett and ADF deputy chief of joint operations Maj. Gen. Hugh McAslan.
In his remarks, Brawner underscored the strategic importance of the defense partnership between the Philippines and Australia.
“The Alon flag represents our unity of purpose—our readiness to sail and march together in defense of peace,” Brawner said. “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.”
Vice Adm. Justin Jones, ADF chief of joint operations, said the exercise demonstrates the strength of the security relationship.
“This is our largest overseas exercise with the Philippines,” Jones said. “It’s a chance to practice how we respond to shared security challenges and project force across the Indo-Pacific.”
‘Free Indo-Pacific’
The AFP said the drills reaffirm the two nations’ shared commitment to a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific region.
The AFP deployed about 1,525 personnel, including units from the 7th Infantry Division, Armored Division, special forces, engineers, signals and medical teams from the Air Force and Navy.
The drill will be supervised by Joint Task Force 661 at Antonio Bautista Air Base in Puerto Princesa, a combined fusion center with the AFP Western Command, and an exercise directorate headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
Other participating forces include about 350 US Marines with an MV-22B Osprey and roughly 180 Canadian personnel aboard HMCS Ville de Québec with a CH-148 Cyclone helicopter.
Planned activities include amphibious landing operations, maritime maneuvers, a mass airlift of the Australian Army battle group and live-fire exercises at land and maritime ranges. Training will also cover cyber resilience, civil-military engagement and public affairs. Organizers said safety measures and advance public notifications will accompany all live-fire activities.
Alon, which began in 2023, has expanded to cover operations across maritime, land, air, cyber and space domains.
