Unifying Global Force: Philippine Army, 18 other nations join world's biggest-ever military exercise

By OACPA
July 15, 2025

FORT BONIFACIO, Taguig City – The Philippine Army, as the ground component and the Armed Forces of the Philippines' (AFP) largest force, participated for the first time in the Australia Defence Force-hosted Exercise Talisman Sabre from July 13 to August 4, 2025 across various training locations in Australia and Papua New Guinea. Exercise Talisman Sabre is by far the largest-ever military exercise hosted by Australia, bringing together about 35,000 troops from 19 partner nations, including the Philippines.

The 32-strong AFP delegation, composed of 7 personnel from the Philippine Army, 3 from the Philippine Marine Corps, 5 from the Philippine Navy, and 17 from the Philippine Air Force, arrived in Australia on July 5, 2025 to participate in the said exercise. Lt. Gen. Roy M. Galido, Commanding General Philippine Army led the delegation on behalf of the AFP Chief of Staff, Gen. Romeo S. Brawner, Jr.

The Australia-US military exercise is participated in by partner nations' training audiences from Canada, Fiji, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Tonga, and the United Kingdom.

Over the next three weeks, they will train together with other contingents from other 18 partner nations in live-fire exercises and field training activities, incorporating force preparation activities, amphibious landings, ground force maneuvers, as well as air combat and maritime operations. The large-scale exercises, which will span the sea, land, air, space and cyber domains, will be conducted across various locations in Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia, New South Wales and Christmas Island. For the first time, activities will also be conducted outside of Australia in Papua New Guinea.