Manila, Feb. 17 -- Naval and air units from the Philippines, Australia, and the United States completed the 14th multilateral maritime cooperative activity (MMCA) in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Tuesday.

The MMCA, the first for this year, took place from Feb. 15 to 16, underscoring a shared and multinational resolve to strengthen interoperability and freedom of navigation and overflight under international law.

"The two-day exercise, spanning the waters of the WPS reinforces the continuity of multilateral cooperation and reflects the participating nations' sustained commitment to strengthening maritime security in the region," the AFP said in a statement.

The AFP, Australian Defense F...