On the sun-drenched shores of Palawan and Luzon, a remarkable display of military cooperation is unfolding. Exercise Alon 25, one of the Indo-Pacific region’s most ambitious joint military exercises, kicked off on August 15, 2025, and will run until August 29. This year’s iteration brings together more than 3,600 personnel from Australia, the Philippines, the United States, and Canada—each contributing troops, ships, aircraft, and expertise in a bid to strengthen regional security and deepen strategic alliances.
Exercise Alon, meaning “wave” in Tagalog, is aptly named. It’s a wave of collaboration, operational readiness, and shared resolve. According to the U.S. Marine Corps, the Marine Rotational Force – Darwin (MRF-D) 25.3 Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) is playing a pivotal role, providing a headquarters element, a reinforced rifle company, and an aviation detachment. These forces are working shoulder-to-shoulder with the Australian Defence Force (ADF), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and elements of the Royal Canadian Navy.
The operation’s scope is immense. Australian officials told reporters that about 1,600 of their personnel are involved, supported by a formidable array of air, naval, and land assets. The Joint Task Force 661 is stationed at Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan, working closely with the Philippine Western Command and a directorate headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo in Manila. The ground contingent from Australia includes a battle group from the 8th/9th Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment—390 soldiers strong—backed by two infantry companies, a cavalry troop with five Australian light armored vehicles (ASLAVs), an artillery battery featuring two M777 155 mm howitzers, and a host of support teams ranging from medics to combat engineers.
On the Philippine side, the AFP has mobilized about 1,525 personnel, drawing from the 7th Infantry Division, the Armored Division, and specialist teams in combat engineering, special operations, and medical support. The Philippine Air Force has deployed FA-50PH Fighting Eagle and A-29 Super Tucano aircraft, ground-based radar, and a fleet of helicopters including the S-70i Blackhawk, T-129 ATAK, and AW109. The Philippine Navy is represented by a Jose Rizal-class guided missile frigate, and the Marine Corps has contributed a full brigade with two battalions.
International partners are amplifying the exercise’s reach. The Royal Canadian Navy has sent the Halifax-class frigate HMCS Ville de Québec, complete with a CH-148 Cyclone helicopter and about 180 personnel. The U.S. Marine Corps has allocated around 350 members of the MRF-D, with the distinctive MV-22B Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft providing a unique capability for rapid personnel movement and tactical insertions. Preparations began as early as August 14, with Marines and sailors from MRF-D 25.3 arriving in Palawan to set the stage for the two-week event.
“The pivot from crisis response to Exercise Alon is a testament of the relationships we’ve built with our regional partners and another chance to prove them in the field,” said Col. Jason Armas, commanding officer of the MRF-D 25.3 MAGTF, as quoted by U.S. military sources. “Operating with the ADF and AFP in the Philippines by sea, air, and on the ground sharpens our combined edge and ensures we can respond fast and hit hard when crises emerge in the Indo-Pacific.”
Vice Admiral Justin Jones, Chief of Joint Operations for the Royal Australian Navy, underscored the human element behind all the hardware and tactics: “Amidst all the capability and equipment we bring to Exercise Alon 25, the value of this training comes from the people-to-people links and the opportunity to exchange practices when we conduct an exercise of this scale.”
The training agenda is as diverse as it is demanding. Early in the exercise, MRF-D MV-22B Ospreys from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 363 ferried Australian and Philippine special operations forces for military free-fall parachuting drills—an exercise that not only hones parachuting skills but also builds trust through shared risk and challenge. The centerpiece of the exercise is a simulated Combined Joint Forcible Entry Operation (CJFEO), in which U.S. and Philippine ground forces, inserted by Ospreys and Blackhawk helicopters, work alongside amphibious raiders from Australia and the Philippines to seize and hold key terrain. These high-tempo maneuvers are designed to test and demonstrate the ability of allied forces to project power and secure vital positions in contested environments.
But the action isn’t confined to the beaches and jungles. At sea, the Hobart-class destroyer HMAS Brisbane is maneuvering alongside the Philippine Navy’s BRP Jose Rizal, with support from an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter. The Royal Canadian Navy’s HMCS Ville de Québec also brings its own CH-148 Cyclone helicopter to the mix. In the skies, the Royal Australian Air Force is flying F/A-18F Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers, C-130J Hercules, P-8A Poseidon surveillance planes, KC-30A refueling tankers, and C-17A Globemaster III transport aircraft to ensure seamless logistics and air support.
Live-fire exercises—both on land and at sea—are a central feature of Alon 25. These drills, conducted under strict safety protocols, are designed to maximize training effectiveness while minimizing risk. Subject matter expert exchanges are also on the agenda, with participants sharing best practices on command-and-control, aviation, logistics, fires, cyber resilience, civil-military engagement, and even religious and cultural liaison.
The roots of Exercise Alon stretch back to 2023, when it was first launched under the Indo-Pacific Endeavour program as a showcase of the growing partnership between Canberra and Manila. Since then, the exercise has become a recurring event, reflecting an expanding web of defense cooperation that includes Operation Augury, the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Program, and Philippine participation in Australia’s Talisman Sabre, Pitch Black, and Kakadu exercises. The symbolism of the name “Alon” isn’t lost on participants—it reflects a shared commitment to upholding state sovereignty, international law, and freedom from external coercion.
With its scale, complexity, and multinational character, Exercise Alon 25 stands as a vivid reminder of the evolving security landscape in the Indo-Pacific. The exercise not only sharpens the tactical edge of each participating force but also sends a clear signal about the region’s collective resolve. As nations look to a future of shifting alliances and emerging threats, the lessons and relationships forged in the Philippine archipelago this August may well ripple far beyond the waves of Palawan and Luzon.
