The warships spotted sailing near Jose Panganiban, Camarines Norte mistakenly reported as Chinese-operated were foreign vessels participating in the “Exercise Pacific Steller 2025,” the Philippine Navy clarified Wednesday. 

Navy spokesperson Capt. John Percie Alcos said Exercise Pacific Steller 2025, which involved the naval ships from the United States (US), Japan, and France, was conducted in an “internationally recognized maritime corridor.” 

“I believe that there was a prior coordination, and there’s nothing illegal about the conduct of the said exercise in that particular maritime area. The Philippine Navy fully supports such collaborative activities with like-minded navies that promote regional security and stability,” Alcos told the DAILY TRIBUNE in a Viber message. 

Earlier, Naval Forces Southern Luzon (NAVFORSOL) spokesperson Lt. John Emmanuel Sison refuted online reports that alleged Chinese vessels were monitored while navigating Philippine waters. 

“These are not Chinese warships; these are foreign vessels composed of the French Navy, US Navy, and Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) that are conducting a naval exercise hosted by the French Navy in the Philippine Sea dubbed as 'Exercise Pacific Steller 2025' which started last February 8, 2025,” Sison told reporters. 

Sison noted the exercise is a multi-large-deck event (MLDE) designed to advance coordination and cooperation among French, Japanese, and US maritime forces. 

“Said exercise involves the following vessels, which were first reported on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2025, at approximately 109NM NE of Polillio Island,” he said. 

The Philippine Navy identified the participating vessels as the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), a Nimitz-class carrier; the USS Princeton (CG-59), a Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser; the USS Sterrett (DDG-104), an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer; the USS William P Lawrence (DDG-110), an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer; and the USS Emory S Land (AS-39), a submarine tender.

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force deployed its JS Kaga (DDH-184) helicopter carrier and JS Akizuki (DD-115) Akizuki-class destroyer while France (French Navy) utilized the FS Charles De Gaulle (R-91) aircraft carrier during Exercise Stellar. 

“As part of the scenario of the said exercise, the French Navy posed as enemy vessels,” Sison noted. 

In a separate statement, the US Pacific Fleet said the exercise aims to “promote a free, open and stable Indo-Pacific space for the benefit of French populations, interests, and those of their regional partners, within the framework of international law.”

The military and coast guard have been monitoring the country’s maritime territories to prevent Chinese vessels from infringing Philippine waters.