On the afternoon of July 30, Vietnam's Naval Region 3 Command hosted a welcoming ceremony for the visiting US Navy vessels, including the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, the guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls (CG 62), and the guided-missile destroyer USS Shoup (DDG 86). The visit will run from July 30 to August 5.

The welcoming ceremony was attended by representatives from Vietnam's Ministry of National Defence, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Da Nang Department of Foreign Affairs, and other relevant Vietnamese agencies.

Representing the United States were the Chargé d'Affaires ad interim, the US Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, the Defense Attaché, and officials from the US Embassy in Vietnam.

During their stay in Da Nang, the strike group's commanding officers are scheduled to pay courtesy calls on leaders of the Da Nang People's Committee and Naval Region 3 Command.

Groups of officers and sailors will also participate in community engagement activities across the city, including cultural exchanges and sporting events.

The visit contributes to maintaining and strengthening Vietnam-US relations in line with the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace, Cooperation, and Sustainable Development between the two countries.

The event also highlights Vietnam's logistical and technical capability to host visiting foreign naval vessels while promoting the country's image and its people to the international community.

USS George Washington is a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the sixth vessel of the Nimitz class, and the fourth US Navy ship to be named after George Washington, the first President of the United States.

The carrier measures 333 meters in length, 78 meters in width, and 74 meters in height. It features a flight deck covering approximately 18,000 square meters and can carry around 80 aircraft.

This marks the fourth visit by a US Navy aircraft carrier to Da Nang.

Previous visits included USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) in 2018, USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) in 2020, and USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) in 2023.