Inumpisahan kahapon ang kauna-unahang Philippines-Australia (PH-Aus) Exercise Alon 2023 sa pagitan ng Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at Australian Defence Force (ADF) sa layuning mapanatili ang kapayapaan sa Indo-Pacific.
Sa kicked off ng naturang military exercise, nagsagawa ng opening ceremony sa flight dech ng His/Her Majesty’s Australian Ship (HMAS) Canberra sa Darwin, Australia.
Nilahukan ito ng matataas na opisyal mula sa AFP at ADF kabilang sina Lt. Col. Noel Gallaza, commander ng AFP’s Amphibious Landing Force; Air Commander Tony McCormack, commander ng Indo-Pacific Endeavor 2023 (IPE23); Capt. Phillipa Hay, commander ng Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) Amphibious Task Force; Col. Doug Pashley, commander ng RAN’s Landing Forces; Capt Brendan O’Hara, commanding officer ng HMAS Canberra; at Cmdr. Barton Harrington, commanding officer ng HMAS Anzac.
Kasama rin si Col. Brendan Sullivan, commanding officer ng United States Marine Corps’ Marine Rotational Force – Darwin.
Kabilang sa military exercise ang iba’t ibang mga barko at sasakyang panghimpapawid mula sa AFP at ADF at mahigit 2,000 military personnel.
Mayroon ding 150 participants mula sa US Marines MRF-D na magsisilbing support forces at sasama sa Amphibious force ng Australia.
