The Philippine Army made its historic debut in the Australia Defence Force-hosted Exercise Talisman Sabre, joining 18 other nations in the world’s largest-ever multinational military exercise from July 13 to August 4, 2025.
Held across key training locations in Australia and Papua New Guinea, the exercise gathered approximately 35,000 troops to enhance collective military preparedness and regional cooperation.
The Philippine contingent included 32 members—7 from the Army, 3 from the Marine Corps, 5 from the Navy, and 17 from the Air Force—led by Lt. Gen. Roy M. Galido on behalf of AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo S. Brawner Jr.
Partner nations in the exercise included Canada, Fiji, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Tonga, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Participants conducted wide-ranging drills such as live-fire exercises, amphibious landings, ground maneuvers, air combat simulations, and cyber operations, spanning land, sea, air, space, and cyber domains.
Training sites covered multiple Australian regions including Queensland, Western Australia, Northern Territory, New South Wales, and Christmas Island, with additional activities held for the first time in Papua New Guinea.
The Philippine Army emphasized its goal of strengthening global partnerships and collaborative readiness in addressing Indo-Pacific security challenges.
AFP officials hailed the exercise as a milestone in Philippine military diplomacy and expressed hope for continued participation and deeper integration in future iterations.