Philippine Army, Australian troops conduct ALON 2025 joint drill

Philippine Army troops and Australian Defense Force conducted a joint live fire exercise at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija on Wednesday.

The drill, part of Exercise Amphibious Land Operation (ALON) 2025, involved the use of various artillery and infantry weapons by both armies, with Philippine Army using ATMOS 155mm self-propelled howitzers and Australian Army firing M777 howitzers.

More than 3,600 troops from Philippines, Australia, United States, and Canada are participating in Exercise ALON 2025 until Aug. 29, with Philippine Air Force providing close air support using T-129 ATAK helicopters due to bad weather conditions for other aircraft.

Philippine Army commander Lt. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete praised the troops for their commitment to enhancing joint force capabilities and strengthening interoperability and coordination with allied nations.

Both forces showcased their tanks, mortars, heavy machine guns, automatic grenade launchers, and anti-tank weapon systems during separate exercises.