Navy comparison: 
Malaysia vs 
Philippines
Malaysia operates a fleet of 109 ships compared to 140 for Philippines. Of these, 97 and 118 are in active service respectively.
SEAS (Sea Equipment Aggregate Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
MalaysiaWorld #35
13.1
SEAS Index / 100
Malaysia leads on 5 of 8 categories
PhilippinesWorld #36
13.0
Malaysia
Philippines
Bars: weighted contribution to the SEAS Index (hulls × category weight × size, era and propulsion factors, minor vessels capped at 30 % of the combatant points; the air-wing, sustainment, armament and availability multipliers apply on top) · figures: active hulls at each side's latest inventory year · Methodology
Key figures as of 2026
| Malaysia | Philippines | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official name | Royal Malaysian Navy | Philippine Navy | |
| Total ships | 109 | 140 | 🇵🇭 1.3× |
| Active ships | 97 | 118 | 🇵🇭 1.2× |
| On order / planned | 3 | 21 | 🇵🇭 7.0× |
| Submarines | 2 | 0 | 🇲🇾 |
| Principal surface combatants | 2 | 4 | 🇵🇭 2.0× |
| Amphibious ships | 0 | 11 | 🇵🇭 |
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
| Corvettes | 4 | 4 | — |
| Patrol boats | 10 | 36 | 🇵🇭 3.6× |
| Mine warfare | 4 | 0 | 🇲🇾 |
| Coastal boats | 62 | 24 | 🇲🇾 2.6× |
| Auxiliaries | 12 | 37 | 🇵🇭 3.1× |
Backbone classes one per tier held
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Analyst Assessment
Verdict
Edge: Philippines
The Philippine Navy holds the overall edge over the Royal Malaysian Navy on scale and trajectory — seven frigates, eleven amphibious hulls and 21 vessels on order, including five Abukuma-class destroyers, against Malaysia's two Lekiu frigates. Malaysia's decisive advantage is qualitative and narrow: two Scorpène submarines and a mine-warfare force the Philippines lacks entirely.
Domain by domain
Surface combatants
Edge: Philippines
🇲🇾 MalaysiaTwo Lekiu-class frigates plus four corvettes (Kasturi, Laksamana), all aging; three Littoral Mission Ship Batch 2 corvettes ordered. Modern missile-armed frigate program has slipped badly, leaving a thin high-end line.
🇵🇭 PhilippinesSeven frigates, led by three Hamilton-class cutters and modern Korean-built units, with four corvettes including Pohang and Jacinto classes. Two Miguel Malvar frigates and five Abukuma destroyers on order.
Submarines
Edge: Malaysia
🇲🇾 MalaysiaTwo Scorpène-class boats, the only submarine capability in the pair, weighted ×45 in the index. Even at modest availability they impose a sea-denial problem across the Malacca and Borneo approaches.
🇵🇭 PhilippinesNo submarines in service or on order. Anti-submarine work rests on frigate and corvette sensors and helicopters, with no organic underwater deterrent of its own.
Amphibious & expeditionary
Edge: Philippines
🇲🇾 MalaysiaNo dedicated amphibious vessels recorded; sealift and troop movement depend on twelve support ships and chartered or army-controlled craft. Limited capacity for sustained inter-island lift.
🇵🇭 PhilippinesEleven amphibious hulls, anchored by two Tarlac-class landing platform docks with two more ordered, plus Bacolod City-class landing ships. Core to archipelagic resupply, disaster response and garrison rotation.
Coastal & mine warfare
Edge: Malaysia
🇲🇾 MalaysiaFour Mahamiru-class mine countermeasures vessels, the only MCM force between them, plus 62 coastal boats (G2000 FIC, CB90, Perdana) and six Kedah patrol vessels for littoral policing.
🇵🇭 PhilippinesNo mine warfare hulls. Strength lies in mass: 33 patrol boats including nine fast Acero-class and 22 Andrada-class coastal craft, sized for constabulary presence rather than mine clearance.
Shipbuilding & sustainment
Edge: Philippines
🇲🇾 MalaysiaDomestic yards can build patrol and littoral ships, but the flagship frigate program's delays illustrate weak delivery discipline; only three units on order against an aging inventory.
🇵🇭 PhilippinesLittle domestic construction of major combatants; relies on Korean, Japanese and US transfers, with 21 hulls on order. Foreign dependence, but a far faster recapitalization pipeline.
Wildcards
- Alliance access and transfers The Philippines' treaty relationship with the United States and expanding ties with Japan and South Korea underwrite most of its 21 ordered hulls, including the Abukuma-class destroyers. Malaysia procures across more suppliers with no comparable alliance backstop.
- Split theaters Malaysia must cover peninsular waters, the Strait of Malacca and Borneo's approaches from separate fleet bases, dividing an already small combatant force. The Philippines concentrates on one archipelagic problem, though across far greater island distances.
- Sustained operational tempo Philippine crews accumulate near-continuous experience in contested South China Sea resupply and shadowing missions, at real cost to hull availability. Malaysian units maintain presence with lower attrition but less routine exposure to confrontation.
Analysis generated by a language model from the figures on this page and public sources; it is an informed reading, not a military assessment or a prediction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country has more naval ships, Malaysia or Philippines?
Philippines has a larger navy with 140 ships compared to Malaysia's 109 ships.
Which navy has more submarines, Malaysia or Philippines?
Philippines operates more submarines with 2 compared to Malaysia's 2.
Which navy has more destroyers, Malaysia or Philippines?
Philippines operates 5 destroyers compared to Malaysia's 0.
Which navy has more frigates, Malaysia or Philippines?
Malaysia operates 7 frigates compared to Philippines's 6.