Australia, Philippines deepen military ties during DMM, Alon exercise

Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles visited the Philippines on Friday to strengthen defense cooperation with Manila.

Marles met with Philippine Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin at Malacañang Palace for a courtesy call, followed by discussions on deepening bilateral military ties during the second iteration of the Philippines-Australia Defense Ministers Meeting (DMM).

During his stay in the country, Marles will observe activities related to Exercise Amphibious and Land Operations (Alon) 2025, considered as Australia's largest overseas joint training activity this year.

The exercise involves over 3,600 troops from four nations, including the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Australian Defense Force (ADF), United States Marine Corps, and the Royal Canadian Navy training together in Palawan and Luzon from August 15 to 29.

Australia and the Philippines are aligning their defense partnership with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s call for enhanced regional cooperation to ensure stability in the Indo-Pacific region.