SHIP LOCATIONS:

• Ship & Group Locations Checked / Updated
• BALIKITAN verified started (4/16), runs for 2-weeks
• Russian / PLAAN naval JTF exercises start today, PLAAN carrier possibly participating (MSNBC)

SHIP LOGS:

April 18

• Brazilian frigate BNS Independzencia (F-44) arrives at Norfolk, joining CSG-8 with Spanish FFG, for COMPTUEX (...ETA deployment changed to June / July'12)

April 20

• USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19): in Philippine Sea enroute to Da Nang, Vietnam
• USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7): @ Rota, Spain
• USS Makin Island (LHD-8): @ Aqaba, Jordan
• USS Nimitz (CVN-68): @ San Diego

April 21

• RS VARYAG (CG): arrives in China w/ 3-DDG for wargames (Ria Novosti)

GROUND UNITS:

• Ground units locations updated per DOD reports (4/20)

NOTEWORTHY NEWS:

April 20

• SUDAN: S. Sudan says it's forces have pulled out of Heglig and returned to S. Sudanese territory

April 22

• KOSOVO: Germany and Austria will deploy 700 additional troops to Kosovo on May 1^st ahead of next months contentious elections in Serbia on may 6^th (Yahoo / AP Site)
• SYRIA: UN authorizes up to 300 unarmed military observers be deployed to Syria to monitor truce for 3-months (Yahoo / Reuters site)