July 7th Weekly Update

SHIP LOCATIONS:

Ship & Group Locations Checked / Updated (July 1-7)

• FRUKUS 2012: exercise ends (July 1) in St. Petersburg, Russia
• RIMPAC 2012: Began (June 29), Active until (August 3)

SHIP LOGS:

July 1

• RFA Argus (Support): Visiting Boston for Fleet Week
  
• USNS Mercy (T-AH-19): leaves Samar, Philippines
  

July 2

• FS C.D. Gaulle (CVN): Air combat EX with Eisenhower CSG, Rafale fighter crashes in Mediterranean, pilot rescued by US Navy helicopter
  
• FS Dixmude (LHD): at Abdijan, Ivory Coast
  
• USS Nicholas (FFG-47): on patrol in support of Operation Martillo, interdicts drug boat with USCG on (June19)
  
• USS Nimitz (CVN-68): arrives at Pearl Harbor for RIMPAC
  

July 3

• USS Carr (FFG-52): visits Santa Marta, Columbia on (June 28), on SOUTHCOM patrol with Operation Martillo
  
• USS Hawaii (SSN-776): at Polaris Point, Guam
  
• USS John P. Jones (DDG): returns to San Diego from CENTCOM patrol
  
• USS McClusky (FFG-41): returns to San Diego from Caribbean patrol
  
• USS Underwood (FFG-36): at Bahia Malaga, Columbia
  

July 4

• HMS Dragon (DDG) & Argyll (FFG): are at the Solent near Plymouth, UK, for Armed Forces Day
  
• USS Underwood (FFG-36): PASSEX with Columbian Navy
  

July 5

• USS Sterett (DDG-104): returns to San Diego, CENTCOM deployment ends (rest of Lincoln CSG in Arabian Sea)
  

July 6

• FS Prairial (FFG): participating in RIMPAC
  
• HMAS Adelaide (LHD): built and launched by Navantia (Spain) for Australia. The Adelaide is the second LHD of this class (identical to Spains Juan Carlos) for Australia.
  
• USS Eisenhower (CVN-69): at Palma, Spain
  
• USS Essex (LHD-2): at Pearl Harbor for RIMPAC
  
• USS Ponce (AFSB-1): arrives at Bahrain for duty in 5^th Fleet AOR (ex-LPD)
  

July 7

• HMS Sutherland (FFG): leaves UK for Indian Ocean deployment (ETA return to UK in December'12)
  

GROUND UNITS LOGS:

Ground units locations updated per DOD reports, up to (July 1-7)

• US 1^st Infantry, 4^th Brigade – KIA @ Gayan Alwara Mandi, Afghanistan (July 3)

NOTEWORTHY NEWS:

July 2

• IRAN: begins 3-day ballistic missile drill exercise PROPHET 7

July 3

• AFGHANISTAN: Pakistan reopens NATO supply lines after US State Department appologizes for the killing of Pakistani troops last November

July 4

• RUSSIA: The Kremlin has finally decided to go forward with the plan to end conscription and develop a large core of professional NCO's.
• SAUDI ARABIA: SA enters negotiations with China to buy nuclear capable CSS-5 “Dong-Fen 21” ballistic missiles (...last year they were reportedly negotiating with Pakistan to buy nuclear warheads)

July 6

• SYRIA: Syrian general flees to Paris; US says Russia and China should pay price for supporting Assad

July 7

• LIBYA: holds free elections for a 200-member assembly and prime minister. Parliamentary elections will be next year. While most of the prominent candidates are islamist or affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, most are running on a secular platform.
• SYRIA: Syrian army artillery hits N. Lebanese border town of Amayer, 5-killed, after syrian rebels cross border seeking shelter. UN considers pulling out it's monitors.