Canada’s HMCS Ville de Québec (FFH332) conducts a crossdeck hoisting operation with Australia’s HMAS Brisbane (DDG41) during a maritime cooperative activity under Exercise ALON on August 23, 2025. (Courtesy: Armed Forces of the Philippines)
The armed forces of the Philippines, Canada, and Australia conducted joint maritime drills in the West Philippine Sea on Saturday.
According to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the cooperative exercise was held west-southwest of El Nido, Palawan, under Exercise ALON.
Participating naval assets included the Philippine Navy’s BRP Jose Rizal (FF150), the Royal Australian Navy’s HMAS Brisbane (DDG41), and the Royal Canadian Navy’s HMCS Ville de Québec (FFH332). The activities featured crossdeck hoisting and personnel exchanges.
“The engagement reflects a shared resolve to uphold a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific and reinforces the commitment of the Philippines, Australia, and Canada to promote freedom of navigation, regional stability, and collective maritime security,” the AFP said.
Meanwhile, on Saturday morning, a Chinese research vessel was spotted near Philippine waters before turning off its tracking system, a maritime security analyst reported.
Retired US Air Force Col. Ray Powell, director of the SeaLight project at Stanford University’s Gordian Knot Center, said the Dong Fang Hong 3—an oceanographic ship measuring 103 meters—came within 65 nautical miles of the Philippines before going “dark” at 7:12 a.m. local time.
Equipped with advanced oceanographic sensors, multi-beam sonar, and remotely operated vehicles, the vessel has the capacity to map seabeds, conduct acoustic monitoring, and survey underwater infrastructure, Powell noted.
He cautioned that such moves fit Beijing’s “gray zone tactics,” where scientific research missions are used to assert maritime claims and gather potential military intelligence.
Powell’s observation, based on data from maritime analytics firm Starboard, comes as tensions in the West Philippine Sea remain high, with Manila lodging repeated protests against Chinese incursions.
In 2013, the Philippines challenged Beijing’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.
In 2016, the tribunal ruled in favor of Manila, invalidating China’s claims. Beijing, however, has refused to recognize the ruling.
