ISTANBUL

Australia on Friday began its largest overseas military drills with the Philippines which include live fire exercises as well as amphibious landing operations and maritime maneuvers in the waters around the Southeast Asian nation.

The Exercise Alon 25 in the Philippines brings together more than 3,600 personnel including from Canadian Navy and the US Marine Corps’ Marine Rotation Force based in Darwin, Australia, according to a statement by the Australian Defense Ministry.

According to Armed Forces of the Philippines, the joint trainings will be held across the islands of Palawan and Luzon on Aug. 15 and 29.

“Exercise Alon 25 is 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,” said Australian Vice Admiral Justin Jones.

The first edition of Exercise Alon was held in 2023 and this year includes the participating soldiers practice “joint force projection through the mass airlift of an Army battle group, comprising armored, engineering, health and artillery elements.”

The drill comes amid tensions in the disputed South China Sea which has seen the Philippines and China fight over maritime territorial claims.

The drills “will enhance our interoperability with the Philippines, and ensure that we can work together in support regional security,” Jones said.