PH, Australia to resume biennial military drills in August – envoy

MANILA, Philippines — Australia and the Philippines will resume their biennial military drills in August amid both nations’ “historic high” defense relationship.

Australian ambassador to the Philippines HK Yu announced this development in an event commemorating the 9th anniversary of the July 12, 2016, arbitral award.



“Next month, I'm gonna miss this and I'm gonna be sad about it, but our largest bilateral joint exercise ever, Exercise Alon, will return to the Philippines,” the outgoing ambassador said in her speech.

Yu also noted that the upcoming exercise will be the Australian Defense Forces’ largest exercise outside of Australia this year.

Canada and the United States, she said, would also participate in the drills.

“It is clear our defense relationship is at an historic high,” she said.

The last bilateral drills between Manila and Canberra were held in August 2023.

READ: PH-Australia troops simulate territory-retaking scenario near West Philippine Sea

During that time, both countries simulated a territory-retaking scenario in a naval base in Zambales facing the West Philippine Sea.

The drills, held in Naval Station Leovigildo Gantioqui in San Antonio town, were also witnessed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Australia also regularly joins the Philippines in patrolling in the West Philippine Sea, the latest of which was held in April.

“Not only are we completing more MCAs (maritime cooperative activity), they’re also becoming more complex,” Yu said. “This is set to continue.”

Both countries have a status of a visiting forces agreement, which enables their armed forces to conduct military drills on each other’s soil. /apl

(2025/07/11-11:41)

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