Australian Defence Force (ADF) cyber specialists have taken part in a multinational exercise aimed at strengthening regional cyber warfare capabilities.
Held during Exercise Balikatan in the Philippines, the operation brought together cyber teams from Australia, the United States, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, France, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Participants worked through simulated attacks on virtual networks, identifying intrusions, blocking malicious activity and coordinating responses across allied systems. The drills were conducted on a US-built cyber range designed to replicate real-world military networks and threats.
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Cyber operator Signaller Callum Prestedge said the exercise tested both technical capability and international coordination under pressure.
“Every environment, whether real or virtual, will have its challenges and difficulties, and this was a good level of difficulty for the exercise,” Prestedge said.
“It tested how we worked together and responded to what was happening in the network.”
Cyber capabilities are increasingly being viewed as a frontline capability rather than a supporting function, as cyber threats continue to grow in their capacity to cause major damage.
Philippine Armed Forces chief General Romeo Brawner Jr said lessons from conflicts in Ukraine and Iran demonstrated that cyber attacks are often among the first strikes launched in war.
“We saw from the lessons in Ukraine and in Iran that one of the first forms of warfare that was done was cyber warfare to disable radar sites, disable command centres, disable firing batteries, etc.,” he said.
“That is why it is very important that we develop this capability of defending our resources, our networks.”
The exercise is part of a broader shift within allied defence forces towards integrated cyber defence strategies as nations confront escalating digital threats.
Defence said the training also allowed partner nations to compare operational procedures and improve interoperability ahead of future deployments.
“We’ve also seen the other nations’ procedures here, which we can take back and improve how we work,” Prestedge said.
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