Manila, Feb. 17 -- The Naval Forces of Southern Luzon (NAVFORSOL) clarified on Monday that the foreign vessels spotted off the waters of Camarines Norte province were part of a foreign maritime exercise among the US, France, and Japan.

In a press release, Lt. John Emmanuel Sison, NAVFORSOL public affairs director, said the foreign vessels were composed of the French Navy, US Navy, and Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force conducting a naval exercise hosted by the French Navy in the Philippine Sea dubbed "Exercise Pacific Steller 2025," which started last Feb. 8, 2025.

"This exercise is a multi-large-deck event (MLDE) designed to advance coordination and cooperation among French, Japanese, and U.S. maritime forces," he said.

"According t...