USS George Washington makes first carrier visit to Vietnam since COVID-19 pandemic

The USS George Washington steamed into Da Nang Bay on Thursday, becoming the fourth U.S. aircraft carrier to visit Vietnam since hostilities ended in the 1970s and the second since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The carrier, along with the guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls and guided-missile destroyer USS Shoup, is in Da Nang for a scheduled port call, ship spokesman Lt. Robert Dixon told Stars and Stripes by email Wednesday.

The carrier and its escorts bring approximately 5,000 sailors to the port city, he said.

While in port, leaders with Carrier Strike Group 5 plan to meet with Vietnamese military and civilian officials while sailors take part in cultural exchanges and community service projects, Dixon said.

The George Washington will host a soccer game with the local community and host daily tours for about 700 people during its stay, said Capt. Nicholas DeLeo, the carrier’s skipper.

“While our ship represents the high-end capabilities of the U.S. Navy, our visit here to Vietnam supports a U.S.-Vietnam relationship that continues to grow stronger across an increasingly broad range of subjects, reflecting our shared interest in a free and open Indo-Pacific,” he said in a statement emailed to Stars and Stripes on Wednesday.

The stop is a “significant port visit” for the carrier, DeLeo added.

The aircraft carrier USS George Washington steams into Da Nang Bay for a scheduled port call on Vietnam, July 30, 2026. (Juan Cordova/U.S. Navy)

“Our Sailors are excited to step ashore, learn about Vietnam’s rich culture, and work side-by-side with the community here in Da Nang,” he wrote. “It is through these personal connections that we build the trust necessary for a peaceful and prosperous region.”

It took more than two decades for the United States and Vietnam to normalize relations after the war, but the two are now strategic and commercial partners. Both countries contend with China, whose claims to territory in the South China Sea overlap with Vietnam.

While the U.S. provides a counterweight to China’s dominance in the area, Vietnam has refrained from establishing military alliances or choosing one country over another.

The U.S. ships arrived one day after at least two Russian vessels were scheduled to depart from a four-day visit to Cam Ranh, a port city about 290 miles south of Da Nang, according to Vietnamese newspaper Thanh Nien.

At least two ships, the diesel-electric attack submarine UFA and the rescue vessel Igor Belousov, were included in the visit. They held a joint rescue exercise with Vietnam’s navy, Russian news agency Interfax reported Tuesday.

The George Washington, USS Theodore Roosevelt, USS Carl Vinson and USS Ronald Reagan are the only ships of their class to make port calls in the country since the Vietnam War ended in 1975. U.S. involvement ended two years earlier in March 1973.

The Carl Vinson made the first visit in 2018, followed by the Theodore Roosevelt in 2020 and the Ronald Reagan in 2023.

The George Washington is making its first stop in Vietnam; for the Robert Smalls it’s the third. The cruiser accompanied the Ronald Reagan during its 2023 visit and again with the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli when it visited Da Nang in December.

“Every day at sea, USS George Washington remains committed to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, and we’re grateful for partners such as Vietnam who support that mission,” DeLeo said. “USS George Washington appreciates Vietnam welcoming us back to demonstrate our mutual desire for friendship and peace in the region.”