Australia has announced an expanded defense partnership with the Philippines, revealing plans for over 20 joint training activities and exchanges in 2025—more than double the number conducted the previous year.
As part of this enhanced collaboration, Australian reconnaissance units from the 5th/7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, recently trained alongside Philippine troops from the 4th and 10th Infantry Divisions at Camp Kibaritan in the southern Philippines.
The joint drills focused on territorial defense strategies and reconnaissance skills, with both sides sharing tactical approaches to improve interoperability and readiness for future combined missions.
While Philippine troops employed large-unit movement techniques, their Australian counterparts emphasized small-unit reconnaissance with low-signature methods, such as counter-drone operations and thermal/IR signature management.
In contrast, Philippine forces shared expertise in field survival, including water collection and foraging—skills honed through years of counterinsurgency operations.
