On 11 May 2010, "George Washington" completed maintenance and refit and departed Yokosuka for trials. On 21 July 2010, she arrived at Busan, South Korea for a port visit and then participated in exercise "Invincible Spirit" in the Sea of Japan with the USAF, Republic of Korea Air Force and Republic of Korea Navy from 25 to 28 July 2010. "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. Due in part to those objections a second exercise, in the Yellow Sea on the west coast of North Korea, was planned. On 8 August 2010, "George Washington" stopped off the coast of Da Nang City in the South China Sea to celebrate the 15th anniversary of normalization of Vietnam-US diplomatic relations, the first Vietnam visit by a U.S. aircraft carrier since the Vietnam War. In November 2010, the "George Washington" carrier group departed for planned exercises with the Republic of Korea Navy, partially in response to the shelling of Yeonpyeong and increased tension with North Korea.