PH, US, Australia hold WPS drills; 2 Chinese ships sighted

The Armed Forces of the Philippines, together with the Australian Defence Force and the United States Indo-Pacific Command, completed the 14th Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMCA) on Feb. 15 to 16, 2026 in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

The two-day exercise underscored continued multilateral cooperation and reflected the participating nations’ commitment to strengthening maritime security and interoperability in the region.

During the activity on Monday, Feb. 16, two warships of the People's Liberation Army Navy were sighted near the southeastern portion of Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough or Panatag Shoal, in the WPS.

The sighting prompted the three navies to remain on alert. However, the AFP said the Chinese vessels did not form up or challenge the ongoing drills.

READ MORE: https://mb.com.ph/2026/02/17/chinese-warships-spotted-during-phusaustralia-maritime-drills-in-wps