PH, Australia to double military exercises in 2025

The Philippines and Australia will increase their joint military exercises this year by twice as last year.

- By JOSEPH PEDRAJAS

Australia's defense government, in an advisory dated April 7, said the move is aimed at strengthening cooperation and broadening interoperability between troops of both sides as Manila is Canberra's "most important regional defence partners, and we share a commitment to a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region."

Expected this year is at least 20 training activities and exchanges between the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)—and that is double the number delivered in 2024, Australia said.

"Established in 2019, the Joint Australian Training Team Philippines (JATTP) involves Mobile Training Teams (MTTS) from ADF conducting training activities in the Philippines and provides support to a range of exercises," it said.

Throughout the year, Australia's mobile training teams will engage with several hundred personnel from the Philippine military as well as representatives of the Department of National Defense (DND).

Each of the training teams will deliver targeted training in a specific skill set, mission, or area of military expertise, according to the Australian defense department.