The Royal Australian Navy and the Philippine Navy have successfully completed Exercise Lumbas, a long-standing bilateral engagement focused on strengthening maritime cooperation, professional exchange and interoperability between the two navies.
Delivered at Naval Base Heracleo Alano in June, Exercise Lumbas brought together Australian Maritime Geospatial Warfare Unit and Maritime Trade Operations specialists, and Philippine Navy counterparts for a series of academic and command post activities.
The exercise focused on enhancing maritime domain awareness, maritime trade protection and specialist capability development in support of shared maritime security priorities.
Philippine Navy Captain Marissa Arlene A. Martinez said the value of this exercise was in the opportunity to strengthen capability and cooperation between the two forces.
“Exercises like these allow us not just to enhance our operational readiness and interoperability with the Royal Australian Navy, but also reflect our deep commitment to partnership and cooperation with them,” Captain Martinez said.
Throughout the exercise, participants exchanged expertise across maritime geospatial activities, rapid beach survey techniques and underwater search training.
This iteration demonstrated a practical, people-focused approach to building capability and strengthening professional trust.
‘What makes Lumbas particularly valuable is the interaction between our people.’
Exercise Director Captain Fiona Ewington said Exercise Lumbas continues to demonstrate the enduring strength of the bilateral relationship.
“Exercise Lumbas is one of the Royal Australian Navy’s longest-running regional engagements and remains an important part of our defence cooperation with the Philippines,” Captain Ewington said.
“Through activities such as maritime geospatial analysis and rapid environmental assessment, our personnel are working side by side to build capability, strengthen interoperability and deepen the professional trust that underpins a stable and secure maritime region.
“As partners through the Pacific and Indian Oceans Shipping Working Group, our navies work together to build maritime trade awareness and trade protection capabilities. This supports regional economic prosperity and freedom of navigation through a predictable commercial shipping environment.”
Captain Ewington said the exercise also provided a valuable opportunity to strengthen cooperation at the working level.
“Lumbas is a highly practical engagement that allows our teams to exchange expertise and improve how we plan and operate together, building shared understanding where it matters most,” Captain Ewington said.
“What makes Lumbas particularly valuable is the interaction between our people. Working closely with our Philippine Navy counterparts – sharing knowledge, solving problems together and learning from each other – builds the trust and confidence that ensures we can operate effectively together in the future.”
