MANILA, Aug. 24 -- Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles on Sunday witnessed what they described as an "impressive" display of interoperability between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Australian Defense Force (ADF) during the Combined Joint Forcible Entry Operations (CJFEO) for Exercise ALON 2025.

The drill, staged along San Vicente, Palawan's 14-kilometer Long Beach, featured amphibious and land operations supported by naval, air and ground assets.

It simulated coordinated naval gunfire support, amphibious assault, maritime strike missions, and airfield seizure -- scenarios aimed at securing littoral terrain in contested environments.

"The exer...