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PH, Australian armies boost warfighting capabilities in inaugural training exercise
Philippine Army and Australian Army troops conduct field training exercise at Camp Kibaritan in Bukidnon.????? Photo from 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office (4DPAO)
In line with deepening defense ties and enhanced interoperability, the Philippine Army and the Australian Army are conducting their inaugural joint field training exercise in Mindanao, dubbed 'Kasangga 2025-1.'
The bilateral drill is set to conclude on June 24, 2025, at Camp Kibaritan in Bukidnon.
The exercise—named after the Filipino word 'Kasangga,' meaning 'ally' or 'partner'—marks the first-ever Philippine Army-Australian Army Exercise (PAAAE) conducted in the southern Philippine region.
It brings together three platoons from the Philippine Army's 4th and 10th Infantry Divisions, as well as the Combat Engineer Regiment, alongside their Australian Army counterparts.
"This inaugural Army-to-Army exercise in Mindanao marks a significant advancement in our bilateral defense cooperation and reaffirms our shared commitment as strategic partners to ensuring regional security in the Indo-Pacific," said Philippine Army Commanding General Lt. Gen. Roy M. Galido.
The training focuses on jungle and urban operations, breaching techniques, tactical combat casualty care, jungle survival skills, as well as mobility, counter-mobility, and reconnaissance operations.
These exercises simulate real-world combat scenarios to sharpen the troops' operational readiness and deepen mutual understanding of each other's tactics, techniques, and procedures.
The Philippine Army emphasized that Kasangga 2025-1 reinforces the growing defense relationship between the two countries, aligned with broader regional efforts to promote peace, stability, and a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
