Philippines, Australia, Canada conduct maritime exercise off Palawan

On Saturday, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) conducted a maritime cooperative exercise called Exercise ALON in the West Philippine Sea off El Nido, Palawan.

The activity involved naval assets from the Philippine Navy's BRP Jose Rizal, Australia's Royal Australian Navy's HMAS Brisbane, and Canada's Royal Canadian Navy's HMCS Ville de Québec.

Key exercises included crossdeck hoisting and vertical personnel transfers using an MH-60 helicopter between ships, as well as RHIB (rigid-hulled inflatable boat) exchanges.

The maritime activity aimed to uphold a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific region by promoting freedom of navigation, regional stability, and collective maritime security.

Participating nations reaffirmed their commitment to these shared goals through this cooperative exercise.

The Philippines has been focused on strengthening its maritime capability amid an increasingly assertive China, which has repeatedly harassed and threatened Philippine vessels and aircraft in the West Philippine Sea.