The USS George Washington, an American nuclear-powered supercarrier, is scheduled to arrive in Manila on Saturday, September 4, the United States Embassy has announced.

According to a US Embassy statement, the aircraft carrier will arrive "for a goodwill visit that will further enhance the strong historic ties between the United States and the Republic of the Philippines through community relations projects and professional exchanges between US and Philippine Navy counterparts."

Earlier, USS George Washington participated in exercise Invincible Spirit in the Sea of Japan with the United States Air Force, Republic of Korea Air Force and Republic of Korea Navy from July 25 to 28.

Invincible Spirit was staged to improve combined operations capability and as a show of deterrence following the ROKS Cheonan sinking.

The exercise was conducted in the Sea of Japan to placate China's objections to military exercises being conducted in the Yellow Sea but due in part to those objections a second exercise, which would take place in the Yellow Sea on the west coast of North Korea, is being planned.