The United States move to pull out its last aircraft carrier in Asia to relieve USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East will not affect military training and security engagements between Philippines and American forces, a military spokesman said.

In a press conference on Tuesday, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman for the West Philippine Sea retired Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said the military activities between the two countries will not slow down despite the deployment of USS George Washington to the Middle East.

"So far as the Philippines is concerned the movement of a carrier battle group from (US Indo-Pacific Command) INDOPACOM, to the Middle East will not affect the MDB-SEB (Mutual Defense Board–Security Engagement Board) activities for this year," he said.

"In fact, we are already in the middle of the year, we're past the middle of the year. A lot of the activities have already been conducted. The defense commitment between the US and the Philippines, the Philippines and the US is iron clad. We do not foresee any dip or any slowing down in our MDB-SEB activities," he added.

Trinidad noted that "historically, the pulling out of any particular capability from the INDOPACOM, the (US Pacific Command) PACOM theater will always be replaced when the contingencies in the other parts of the globe have subsided."

"Naval capabilities and naval power are designed to be expeditionary. They utilize the sea not as a barrier but as a mobility corridor as a bridge depending on the requirements they could be reassigned or reallocated to different areas of concern," he said.

When asked about the risks of the possible prolonged absence of a US aircraft carrier in Asia amid escalating tension caused by the Chinese activities in the West Philippine Sea, Trinidad stressed that aside from the US, other allied countries also supported the Philippines.

"The defense and security of the country is provided primarily by your armed forces," he said.

"We have support from other partners, allies, and like-minded nations such as Australia, Japan, New Zealand, when it comes to protecting international law in this part of the globe," he added.

USS George Washington was deployed to the Middle East to relieve USS Abraham Lincoln which played a key role in the US bombing of Iran, news reports said.

Before her deployment to the Middle East, USS George Washington participated in the recent Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity with Japan and the Philippine forces in the West Philippine Sea from July 21 to 25. Robina Asido/PHS