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Australia, Canada and Philippines stage air defense drills off disputed shoal guarded by China

The drills involved over 3,600 personnel from Australia, Canada, and the Philippines to improve air defense coordination amid ongoing territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

  • On Wednesday, August 27, Australia, Canada and the Philippines staged air-defence naval drills east of Scarborough Shoal as part of Exercise ALON 2025, deploying three warships and aircraft for coordinated exercises against simulated aerial threats.
  • This year's ALON is the biggest, with over 3,600 personnel across Palawan, the West Philippine Sea, and Northern Luzon in a 15-day exercise ending Friday, including 1,600 Australian soldiers, Canberra's largest deployment this year.
  • Photographs captured during the drills depict at least three fighter jets and two combat helicopters near BRP Jose Rizal as the ships sailed from El Nido, Palawan to waters east of Bajo de Masinloc.
  • The Philippine military said the naval drills east of Scarborough Shoal concluded safely without encounters with Chinese coast guard, navy or militia, while Chinese officials did not immediately comment and two U.S. Navy warships sailed near the shoal this month, shadowed by a Chinese navy ship.
  • Scarborough Shoal, a sensitive flashpoint, has been closely guarded by Chinese forces which suffered a setback on Aug. 11 when a Chinese navy ship collided with a Chinese coast guard ship while blocking a Philippine coast guard vessel near the shoal.
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Australia, Canada and Philippines stage air defense drills off disputed shoal guarded by China

Australia, Canada and the Philippines have deployed three warships and aircraft for drills against simulated aerial threats off a disputed South China Sea shoal where Chinese forces have used risky maneuvers to try to drive away Manila’s aircraft and ships.

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Winnipeg Free Press broke the news in Winnipeg, Canada on Wednesday, August 27, 2025.
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