Australia flexes firepower in Philippine drills near South China Sea

Canberra’s largest military exercises with Manila will involve more than 3,600 troops, supersonic fighter jets and anti-tank weapons

Reading Time:2 minutes

Defence personnel embark a Royal Australian Air Force KC-30A departing RAAF base Amberley for the Philippines as part of exercise Alon 2025. Photo: Australia’s defence department

Published: 10:41am, 16 Aug 2025Updated: 2:56pm, 16 Aug 2025

Australia on Friday launched its largest military exercises with Philippine forces, involving more than 3,600 military personnel in live-fire drills, battle manoeuvres and a beach assault at a Philippine town facing the disputed South China Sea, where the allies have raised alarm over Beijing’s assertive actions.

The exercises are called Alon, meaning “wave” in the Philippine language, and will showcase Australia’s firepower. The drills will involve a guided-missile navy destroyer, F/A-18 supersonic fighter jets, a C-130 troop and cargo aircraft, Javelin anti-tank weapons and special forces sniper weapons.

Military officials said defence forces from the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Indonesia will join as observers.

“This exercise reflects Australia’s commitment to working with partners to ensure we maintain a region where state sovereignty is protected, international law is followed and nations can make decisions free from coercion,” Vice-Admiral Justin Jones of the Royal Australian Navy said in a statement.

The combat exercises are “an opportunity for us to practice how we collaborate and respond to shared security challenges and project force over great distances in the Indo-Pacific,” Jones said.

The exercises will run until August 29.

Australia is the second country after the US with a visiting forces agreement with the Philippines, allowing the deployment of large numbers of troops for combat exercises in each other’s territory.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x