Philippine Navy monitored 19 PLA warships in WPS in November

The Philippine Navy monitored 19 People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy warships in the West Philippine Sea during November 2025.

These warships were mostly spotted in the vicinity of the Kalayaan Island Group and Panatag Shoal.

Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad stated that these frigates and destroyers have been present in the area for some time, noting their "illegal presence, their coercive and aggressive actions, the deceptive messaging."

Trinidad mentioned that no fire control systems were activated against Philippine ships, and that the Navy continuously monitors and challenges these vessels.

While the number of PLA Navy vessels in November was slightly lower than October's 21, Trinidad attributed the decrease to weather disturbances.

In addition to warships, 30 China Coast Guard (CCG) and PLAN ships were previously reported in key features of the West Philippine Sea as of November 24.

The Philippine Navy is set to expand its fleet with ten additional warships over the next several years, including six offshore patrol vessels, two landing docks, and potentially two more frigates.

The spokesperson also noted that they no longer report Chinese maritime militia vessels due to the challenge in monitoring them.