Saturday, September 29, 2012

September 29th Weekly Update

SHIP LOGS & EXERCISES:

Ship & Group Locations Checked & Updated (September 23 to 29)

IMCMEX 2012: (Sept 16-27) Large Mine-Countermeasures exercise in Arabian Gulf (Royal Navy ) (US Navy )
  • USS Ponce (AFSB(I)-15) (US Navy )
  • USS Gunston Hall (LSD-44) <Iwo Jima ARG> (US Navy )

UNITAS 2012 (Atlantic): (Sept 17-28) Multinational Naval Exercise in the Western Caribbean;
  • (Sept 20) Air Defense EX @ Key West (US Navy);
  • (Sept 23) practiced at sea replenishment (US Navy )
  • USS Anzio (CG-68) FLAGSHIP (US Navy )
  • HMS Dauntless (D33)
  • USS Gravely (DDG-107)
  • USS Underwood (FFG-36)
  • USNS Patuxent (T-AO-201)
  • HMCS Preserver (AR-8)
  • Ships from Brazil, Canada, Dominican Republic, Mexico, UK
  • Observers from France, Jamaica, Panama, Peru

COUGAR 2012: (October to November'12) Major Naval / Amphibious Exercise with France in Mediterranean and Adriatic (MOD )
  • (Oct 1-9) Amphibious EX at SW UK (Royal Navy )
  • (Oct 15+) CORSICAN LION: Joint EX with France in Mediterranean
  • (November) EX with Albanian military in Adriatic Sea
  • FS Charles De Gaulle CSG (CVN)
  • HMS Illustrious (CVH / LHA)
  • HMS Bulwark (LPD)
  • HMS Northumberland (FFG)
  • HMS Montrose (FFG)
  • RFA Mounts Bay (LSD)
  • MV Hartland Point
  • 3 Commando HQ
  • 45 Commando

JOINT WARRIOR: (October 1 - 12) Major Coalition exercise led by the UK near Scotland
  • (Sept 26) US Ships arrive @ Faslane, Scotland (US Navy )
  • (Sept 28) UK forces muster in Scotland for EX (Royal Navy )
  • USS Gettysburg (CG-64)
  • USS Mitscher (DDG-57)
  • HMS Kent (FFG)
  • HMS St. Albans (FFG)
  • HMS Bangor (MCM)
  • HMS Cattistock (MCM)
  • HMS Hurworth (MCM)
  • HMS Penzance (MCM)
  • USNS Leroy Grumman (TAO-195)
  • 3 UK Division
  • 3 Commando
  • 16 Air Assault

HMAS Canberra (LHD-01)
  • (Sept 26) Hull on heavy lift ship Blue Marlin rounds Cape of Good Hope, enroute to Australia, planning to enter service in 2014 (DEFPRO )

HMS Dauntless (DDG)
  • (Sept 17-28) participating in UNITAS

HMS Edinburgh
  • (Sept 24) DEPLOYS to Atlantic Patrol, will be decommissioned when she returns in March 2013 (Royal Navy )

INS Vikramaditya (CV)
  • (Sept 23) arrives at Sevmash Military Shipyard, Severodvinsk, Russia for boiler repairs (ITAR-TASS )

PLAN Liaoning (CV)
  • (Sept 23) Carrier formally handed over to Chinese Navy at Dalian shipyard (RIA Novosti )

USS Bonhomme Richard ARG (LHD-6)
  • (Sept 23) JGSDF Chief of Staff visits ARG to discuss bilateral training (US Navy )
  • (Sept 24) Completes CERTEX with 31st MEU (US Navy )
  • (Sept 26) arrives at Guam

USS G. Washington CSG (CVN-73)
  • (Sept 25) CSG leaves Guam

USS Iwo Jima ARG (LHD-7)
  • (Sept 16-27) USS Gunston Hall (LSD-44) is participating in IMCMEX 2012 in the Gulf of Aden

USS Ponce (AFSB(I)-15)
  • (Sept 16-27) Flagship for IMCMEX 2012

USS Truman (CVN-75)
  • (Sept 24) begin CSSQT combat systems tests at sea

 

GROUND UNITS LOGS & EXERCISES:

US Ground units logs updated per DOD reports, up to (September 23 to 29) (DOD News Releases )

France, UK, Russia, China Army logs updated per various news releases and open sources
  • KAVKAZ-2012: (September 17-23) Russian Army Ex in Caucasus (RIA Novosti ); Coastal defense exercise video (RIA Novosti )
  • Chistoye Nebo 2012: (October 5-16) Air Defense Exercise in Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan; involves interception of cruise missiles (RIA Novosti )

UK
  • 40 Commando – Formally takes charge of Nar-e-Saraj District in Helmand (Sept 26) (Royal Navy )

USA
  • 1st Infantry Division, 2nd Brigade – planning to deploy to AFRICOM in Spring'13 at various locations as part of a new plan to regionally align active Army brigades to parts of Europe, Pacific and Africa, two brigades per region (Army Times )
  • 41st Brigade (NG-OR) – Unit notified to deploy to Afghanistan, potentially for 400 days, and may be one of the last units in rotation when the US leaves Afghanistan in 2014 (Army Times )
  • 82nd Airborne Division, 3rd Brigade – returned to US on (Sept 28)
  • 173rd Airborne brigade – KIA @ Pul-E Alam, Afghanistan on (Sept 26)

 

NEWS that makes me go Hmmmm......

CHINA
  • (Sept 27) China denies building a second aircraft carrier at Shanghai (RIA Novosti )
  • (Sept 27) Japan says they will never compromise in the dispute over the Senkakus Islands, but will seek to avoid diplomatic deterioration (RIA Novosti )

JORDAN
  • (Sept 25) Sources say the Muslim Brotherhood has targeted Jordan for demonstrations starting October 10th if it doesn't yield to their demand to transform the kingdom into a Constitutional Monarchy (Debka )

MALI
  • (Sept 27) France signals it's willingness to be a “facilitator” for the Mali government in it's upcoming struggle against the islamist rebels (UPI )

SOMALIA
  • (Sept 29) Al Shabbab forces flee Kismayu, head for jungles near Afmadow, and cities Jamame, Kabsuma after Kenyan and Somali Army tighten their seige, including an amphibious assualt by Kenyan soldiers (Yahoo News ) (Sept 28 video of Kenyan amphibious assault on Kismayu (Yahoo News ))
  • MAP UPDATED
     

SYRIA
  • (Sept 29) Turkey warns Syria that it will take action if there is a repeat of a mortar strike on it's territory (Yahoo News )

Saturday, September 22, 2012

September 22nd Weekly Update


SHIP LOGS & EXERCISES:

Ship & Group Locations Checked & Updated (September 16 to 22)

  • IMCMEX 2012: (Sept 16-22) Large Mine-Countermeasures exercise in Arabian Gulf (Royal Navy ) (US Navy )
  • UNITAS Atlantic 53-2012: (Sept 17) Multinational naval exercise in Caribbean (US Navy )
  • COUGAR 2012: (Sept to Nov) Major Naval / Marine Exercise with France in Mediterranean and Adriatic, Includes HMS Illustrious, Bulwark, Northumberland, Montrose, 3 Commando HQ, 45 Commando and FS Charles De Gaulle carrier strike group (MOD )

FS Charles De Gaulle (CVN)
  • (Sept 18) in Mediterranean conducting pilot training, planning to return to port for short period, then conduct PEAN 12.2 training with the full CSG ...adjust schedule (Defense Ministry )
  • (Sept 21) will participate in COUGAR 2012 with HMS Illustrious Battlegroup

HMS Dauntless (DDG)
  • (Sept 18) Visiting Cartegena, Columbia (Royal Navy )

HMS Illustrious (CV)
  • (Sept 21) Currently off UK coast, Flagship for COUGAR 2012, will be conducting an amphibious exercise off the Cornish coast, then head to Mediterranean

HMS Sutherland (FFG)
  • (9/20) conducted air defense gunnery training with French Mirages based out of Djibouti

HMS Ocean (LHA)
  • (Sept 17) arrives at Plymouth, UK; preparing for a 1-year refit at Babcock Marine, then will relieve HMS Illustrious (Royal Navy )

INS Vikramaditya (CV)
  • (Sept 17) Malfunctions delay handover of carrier to Indian Navy until October, 2013 (RIA Novosti )
  • (Sept 18) Malfunctions during Sea trials were due to faulty boilers (Yahoo News India )

RFS Peter Veliky (BCGN)
  • (Sept 20) Currently on a patrol and training mission in the Arctic, conducted missile defense drills, ship is testing capabilities for ballistic missile defense systems. Russia plans to reactivate three mothballed Kirov class cruisers as part of sea-based missile defense by 2020 (RIA Novosti )

USS Eisenhower CSG (CVN-69)
  • (Sept 17) USS WS Churchill (DDG-81) conducts anti-piracy exercises with Chinese FFG Yi Yang (US Navy )

USS G. Washington CSG (CVN-73)
  • (Sept 21) arrive at Guam, VE 2012 done

USS Peleliu ARG (LHA-5)
  • (Sept 17) DEPLOY to WESTPAC / CENTCOM (US Navy )

USS Swift (HSV-2)
  • (Sept 19) leaves Lome, Togo

USS Truman (CVN-75)
  • (Sept 20) begin TSTA, preparing for upcoming underway period and deployment

USS Vandergrift (FFG-48)
  • (Sept 20) arrives at Vladivostok, Russia



GROUND UNITS LOGS & EXERCISES:

US Ground units logs updated per DOD reports, up to (September 16 to 22) (DOD News Releases )

France, UK, Russia, China Army logs updated per various news releases and open sources

  • KAVKAZ-2012: (September 17-23), upcoming Russian Army Ex in Caucasus (RIA Novosti ); Coastal defense exercise video (RIA Novosti )
  • Chistoye Nebo 2012: (October 5-16) Air Defense Exercise in Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan; involves interception of cruise missiles (RIA Novosti )

CHINA
  • (Sept 18) PLA forces have conducted a series of amphibious assault exercises in Nanjing Military Command Area (East China Sea); more than 10,000 troops and 1,000 armored vehicles participated in the 20-day live-fire exercise in August (Yahoo News India ) (Rediff News )

RUSSIA
  • (Sept 19) Russian forces kill 5-militants in Ingushetia (Kyiv Post )

UK
  • 21 Engineer Regiment – KIA @ FOB Shawqat, Helmand Province, Afghanistan (Sept 21)

USA
  • 2nd Infantry Division, 3rd Stryker Brigade – KIA @ Zabul Province, Afghanistan (Sept 16)
  • 3rd Infantry Division, 2nd Heavy Brigade – KIA @ Panjwai, Afghanistan (Sept 20)



NEWS that makes me go Hmmmm......

CHINA
  • (Sept 17) Panetta warns that the simmering dispute between China and Japan over the Senkaku / Diaoyu Islands runs the risk of breaking out into war (CNS News )

IRAN
  • (Sept 17) Iran says on August 17 explosives cut power from Qom to the Fordo nuclear complex (My FOX DC )

ISRAEL
  • (Sept 19) Large IDF live-fire exercise in Golan heights similates war on northern border (Debka )

LIBYA
  • (Sept 22) Libyan protesters, followed up by the Army, sweep islamist militia linked to the slaying of ambasador Stevens from the base in Benghazi (Yahoo News )

MALI
  • (Sept 18) Mali and ECOWAS in talks for joint military operation to oust islamist rebels from N. Mali (Yahoo News ) (Voice Of America ) (Yahoo News UK )
  • (Sept 21) US Security Council is considering ECOWAS and Mali interim government proposals for support to oust the islamist rebels, possibly including an ECOWAS HQ in Bamako, 5-battalions and air support (Yahoo News )

SOMALIA
  • (Sept 18) Al-Shabab islamist fighters are seen fleeing Kismayo and traveling to Jilib, about 80 miles NE up the coast ...map updated (Yahoo News )

SUDAN
  • (Sept 16) US pulls diplomats out of country

SYRIA
  • (Sept 17) Syrian jets bomb fleeing rebels near Arsal, Lebanon; the Army shells rebel positions in Aleppo and Hajar Aswad neighborhood of Damascus; the UN confirms foreign-elements fighting for the rebels are radicalizing the rebels and spinning things out of control (WSJ )
  • (Sept 19) Syrian rebels seize their 3rd border crossing with Turkey at Tel Abyad; Rebels begin pullout from southern Damascus neighborhoods after withering artillery barrages for days (Yahoo News )
  • (Sept 20) Sources say Iranian Al Qods Brigades units were active in Syria and Lebanon, as well as Hezbollah units (Debka )
  • (Sept 22) Rebels down a Syrian fighter jet over Atarib (Yahoo News )

TUNISIA
  • (Sept 16) US pulls diplomats out of country

Saturday, September 15, 2012

September 15th Weekly Update


SHIP LOGS & EXERCISES:

Ship & Group Locations Checked & Updated (September 9 to 15)
  • VALIENT SHIELD 2012: (Sept 11) large joint force exercise near Guam, see article for ORBAT (US Navy )
  • IMCMEX 2012: (Sept 16-22) Large Mine-Countermeasures exercise in Arabian Gulf (Royal Navy )
  • UNITAS Atlantic 53-2012: (Sept 17) Multinational naval exercise in Caribbean

FS La Fayette (FFG)
  • (Sept 5-9) escorts supply ship from Mozambique to Mogadishu, Somalia for African Union Troops (Defense Ministry )

HMS Argyll (FFG)
  • (Sept 10) visited Hamburg , Germany for 4-days (Royal Navy )

HMS Diamond (DDG)
  • (Sept 11) patrolling in Arabian Gulf

HMS Illustrious (CV)
  • (Sept 10) Defense Minister Dunne announces that Illustrious will be preserved, and not sold for scrap, when it's decommissioned in 2014 (Royal Navy )

HMS Ocean (LHA)
  • (Sept 12) departs London, will resume routine tasking, planning to visit Holland (Royal Navy )

INS Vikramaditya (CV)
  • (Sept 14) Flight trials delayed by onset of artic weather, ship will be commisioned with indian crew, but resumption of flight training will be delayed until March'13 (The Hindu )

PLAAN Liaoning (CV)
  • (Sept 14) carrier formerly known as “Varyag” was assigned hull number 16 and given name LIAONING; chinese plan to use as training carrier with 24-fighters and 26-helo as full complement (Strategy page )

PLAAN Zheng He (TRN)
  • (Spet 12) arrives at Brunei for 3-days, then will return to China (Brudirect )

USNS Mercy (T-AH-19)
  • (Sept 14) return to San Diego, PP12 deployment ends ...delete from log (US Navy )

USS B.H. Richard ARG (LHD-6)
  • (Sept 10) ARG in Philippine Sea, begin CERTEX with 31st MEU (US Navy )

USS Eisenhower CSG (CVN-69)
  • (Sept 7) USS Farragut (DDG-99) arrives at La Rochelle, France after visiting Williamshaven, Germany (US Navy )

USS G. Washington CSG (CVN-73)
  • (Sept 8) CSG near Guam
  • (Sept 11) participating in VALIENT SHIELD 2012

USS La Jolla (SSN-701)
  • (Sept 10) visit Yokosuka, Japan; currently on WESTPAC deployment ...added to log (US Navy )

USS Milius (DDG-69)
  • (Sept 11) returns to San Diego from WESTPAC / CENTCOM deployment (US Navy )

USS Stennis CSG (CVN-74)

USS Underwood (FFG-36)
  • (Sept 7) arrives at Trinidad and Tobago to celebrate 50th anniversary of independence (US Navy )
  • (Sept 14) arrives at Key West, US for UNITAS 2012 (US Navy )



GROUND UNITS LOGS & EXERCISES:

US Ground units logs updated per DOD reports, up to (September 9 to 15) (DOD News Releases )

France, UK, Russia, China Army logs updated per various news releases and open sources

  • KAVKAZ-2012: (September 17-23), upcoming Russian Army Ex in Caucasus
  • Chistoye Nebo 2012: (October 5-16) Air Defense Exercise in Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan; involves interception of cruise missiles (RIA Novosti )

FRANCE
  • AFGHANISTAN: (Sept 6) French transfer control of their zone of Kandahar Airfield to Belgium, Mirage 2000D's were removed in July (Defense Ministry )
  • LEBANON: (Sept 4) French Army peacekeepers participate in joint fire exercise with Lebanese Army “Steel Storm” (Defense Ministry )

RUSSIA
  • CAUCUSUS (Dagestan): (Sept 13) Russian Army squad mortars a school, mistaken for rebel base (RIA Novosti
  • CAUCUSUS (Dagestan): (Sept 15) Russian sniper killed in clash with rebel gang near Tsuntinsky, in southern Dagestan, leader of the gang was killed (RIA Novosti )
  • KYRGYZSTAN: The Kyrgyz parliament started hearings on the revision of the basing agreement with Russia (Sept 11) (RIA Novosti )

UK
  • 12 Mechanised Brigade – visited by Defense Secretary Hammond (Sept 13) (MOD )
  • 45 Commando preparing for upcoming deployment to Mediterranean, possibly part of exercise Cougar 2012 (Royal Navy )
  • Grenadier Guards, 1st Battalion – KIA @ Nahr-e Saraj District, Helmand Province, Afghanistan (IED)(Sept 15) (MOD )
  • Yorkshire Regiment, 3rd Battalion – KIA @ Nahr-e Saraj District, Helmand Province, Afghanistan (Ambush at checkpoint) (Sept 15) (MOD )

USA
  • 82nd Airborne Division, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade – KIA @ Logar Province, Afghanistan (Aircraft Crash) (Sept 5)
  • 162nd Brigade – Deployed August'11 to August'12, no activity logged, remove from log
  • 172nd Brigade – Deployed July'11 to July'12, no activity logged since April'12, removed from log
  • 173rd Airborne Brigade – KIA @ Muqer, Afghanistan (Combat) (Sept 13)



NEWS that makes me go Hmmmm......

ALGERIA
  • (Sept 12) US Embassy warns of potential for protests

EGYPT
  • (Sept 11) Riots break out in Cairo, protesting a movie production that they say insults Islam, and storming the US embassy

KOSOVO
  • (Sept 10) 25-nation International Steering Group formally ends the supervision of the region, but KFOR will remain for now (RIA Novosti )

LIBYA
  • (Sept 12) US Ambassador to Libya was ambushed and killed in Benghazi while transiting to a safe area, along with three others, during riots. It's thought by some sources that the attack was planned, and used the riots as cover. In response, 50-US Marines from a fast response counter-terror unit has been deployed to the Consulate.
  • (Sept 13) US sends two DDG off the Libyan coast, which may include the USS McFaul and Laboon (Debka ) (RIA Novosti )

MALI
  • (Sept 10) Mali Islamic group MUJWA says the killing of 16 Islamic preachers by an army patrol at the Diabaly checkpoint was a declaration of war. An officer at the Segou Army Base said they had been tracking the group, and ambushed them to prevent a surprise incursion (Yahoo News - Reuters)

SOMALIA
  • (Sept 12) Somalia's newly elected president survives an assassination bombing attempt in Mogadishu (Yahoo News)

SYRIA
  • (Sept 12) Rebel car bomb kills 18 army soldiers in Idlib, and heavy fighting continues at Aleppo airport (Yahoo News)
  • (Sept 13) Hariri says Hezbollah sending fighters into Syria to assist Syrian Army against FSA rebels (The Daily Star )

TUNISIA
  • (Sept 13) Anti-US riots break out
  • (Sept 14) Riots continue, fires near US Embassy

YEMEN
  • (Sept 13) Rioters attack US Embassy
  • (Sept 14) Riots continue, US Marines reinforce embassy

Saturday, September 8, 2012

September 8th Weekly Update


SHIP LOGS & EXERCISES:

Ship & Group Locations Checked & Updated (September 2 to 8)

HMS Dauntless (DDG)

PLAAN Zheng He (TRN)
  • (Sept 4) arrives in Surabaya, Indonesia (CEN )

RFS Adm. Kulakov (DDG)
  • (Sept 5) assists British yacht in Celtic Sea (ITAR-TASS )

USNS Mercy (T-AH-19)
  • (Sept 2) arrives at Pearl Harbor, HA (US NAVY )

USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19)
  • (Aug 30) arrives at Chinhae, SK, completes Ulchi Freedom Guardian Exercise 2012 (US Navy )
  • (Sept 4) returns to Yokosuka, Japan (US Navy )

USS Eisenhower CSG (CVN-69)
  • (Sept 3) USS J. Dunham (DDG-109) departs Haifa, Israel, Exercise Reliant Mermaid ends (US Navy )

USS Enterprise CSG (CVN-65)
  • (Aug 24) USS Vicksburg (CG-69) departs Bahrain (US Navy )

USS Ft. McHenry (LSD-43)
  • (Sept 3) departs Dublin, Ireland; heads to APS (US Navy )

USS Hawaii (SSN-776)
  • (Sept 7) visits Subic Bay, Philippines (US Navy )

USS Nimitz (CVN-68)
  • (Aug 20) returned to home-port, CQ underway

USS Swift (HSV-2)
  • (Sept 4) visiting Pointe Noire, Congo (US Navy )

USS Topeka (SSN-754)
  • (Sept 5) returns to US, WESTPAC deployment ends ...removed from log (US Navy )



GROUND UNITS LOGS & EXERCISES:

US Ground units logs updated per DOD reports, up to (September 2 to 8) (DOD News Releases )

France, UK, Russia, China Army logs updated per various news releases and open sources

  • FALCON VIRGO: (September 6-7), NORAD air interception exercise over DC area (DOD )
  • KAVKAZ-2012: (September 17-23), upcoming Russian Army Ex in Caucasus

USA
  • 1st Marine Division, 1st Combat Engineer Battalion – KIA @ Helmand Province, Afghanistan (Sept 3)
  • 4th Infantry Division, 4th Brigade – KIA @ Jalalabad, Afghanistan (Sept 2)
  • 173rd Airborne Brigade – KIA @ Charkh, Afghanistan (Aug 28)
  • 218th Brigade (NG-SC) deployed to KFOR for 6-months, and will command the Battlegroup-East, based near Urosevac, Kosovo (Stars and Stripes)



NEWS that makes me go Hmmmm......

MALI
  • (Aug 21) Since the military coup in Mali, the north has been falling into islamists hands and establishing Sharia law, refugees form a militia based in Mopti, Mali and threaten to recapture the north (Free Internet Press )
  • (Sept 2) Islamists rebels retake Douentza from ragtag militia (Reuters )
  • (Sept 8) Mali Interim government requests assistance from neighbors to retake north (Yahoo News )

SOMALIA
  • (Aug 28) Somali and African Union troops have captured the coastal city of Marko from Al Shabbab militants (Yahoo News)
  • (Sept 4) A former South African Mercenary, now living in Australia, is running a private army for the north Somalia breakaway region of Puntland (UPI)
  • (Sept 6) Battle looming for last Al-Shabbab stronghold (Yahoo News ), Kenya bombards Kismayo (Yahoo News )

SYRIA
  • (Sept 8) Sources say the US/UK/EU/Turkish/Arab alliance against Assad is sending aid to the rebels, may be directly commanding two rebel brigades (which might explain why they've suddenly started attacking strategic military targets instead of the usual civil power centers), the potential use of chemical weapons is getting closer, and Israel and Hezballah are seconds away from fighting (Debka )

Saturday, September 1, 2012

September 1st Weekly Update


SHIP LOGS & EXERCISES:

Ship & Group Locations Checked & Updated (August 26 – September 1)

  • NORTHERN EAGLE 2012 Begins (August 21) in North Sea / Barents Sea
  • SEACAT multinational maritime interdiction exercise begins at Singapore (August 27)

FS La Fayette (FFG)

FS Ventose (FFG)

HMS Bulwark (LPD)
  • (August 28) at Portland as command ship for Paralympic Games, directly protecting the sailing events (Royal Navy )

HMS St. Albans (FFG)
  • (August 28) will be stationed as the Dartmouth Regatta guard ship (August 30) for 5-days (Royal Navy )

PLAAN Zheng He (TRN)
  • (August 30) The chinese training ship will visit Brunei next month (Brudirect )

PLAAN “Varyag” (CV)
  • (August 28) currenly at it's homeport Dalian after finishing it's 9th Sea Trial, may not be deployable for 3-5 years (Yahoo News )

RFS Adm. Kulakov (DDG)

RFS Adm. Panteleyev (DDG)
  • (August 28) arrives at Maizuru, Japan

USS BH Richard ARG (LHD-6)
  • (August 28) at sea, N. Pacific Ocean

USS Buffalo (SSN-715)
  • (August 27) arrives at Yokosuka, Japan ...currently on WESTPAC patrol (US Navy )

USS Enterprise CSG (CVN-65)
  • (August 23) USS JE Williams (DDG-95) is in the Red Sea
  • (August 30) USS Porter (DDG-78) continues receiving repairs in the UAE, and the CO was relieved of his command during an investigation of it's collision with a Japanese freighter (US Navy )

USS Ft. McHenry (LSD-43)
  • (August 30) arrives at Dublin, Ireland ...currently on EUCOM patrol

USS G. Washington CSG (CVN-73)
  • (August 26) begins CART-II training while underway (US Navy )

USS J. Stennis CSG (CVN-74)
  • (August 27) Deploys to WESTPAC / CENTCOM for 8-months

USS Peleliu (LHA-5)
  • (August 29) Family Day cruise at San Diego

USS Ponce (AFSB(I)-15)
  • (August 26) Ponce is operating in an undisclosed location in 5th Fleet AOR, operating UAVs (US Navy )
  • (August 29) Ponce operating with US Navy Mine-Countermeasures Ships ...probably in the Persian Gulf (US Navy )

USS Sampson (DDG-102)
  • (August 30) returns to San Diego ...WESTPAC patrol ends (US Navy )

USS Swift (HSV-2)
  • (August 26) arrives at Douala, Cameroon (US Navy )

USS Underwood (FFG-36)
  • (August 28) arrives at Willemstad, Curacao ...currently on Operation Martillo patrol in Caribbean



GROUND UNITS LOGS & EXERCISES:

US Ground units logs updated per DOD reports, up to (August 25 to September 1) (DOD News Releases )

France, UK, Russia, China Army logs updated per various news releases and open sources

  • VIGILANT EAGLE 2012: (August 27-29) NORAD air terror exercise in Colorado; USAF, Canadian and Russian AF units participating (RIA Novosti )
  • KAVKAZ-2012: (September 17-23), upcoming Russian Army Ex in Caucasus

FRANCE

UK
  • 40 Commando ready for deployment to Afghanistan next month (Royal Navy )

USA
  • 4th Infantry Division, 4th Brigade – KIA @ Kalagush, Afghanistan (August 27)
  • 101st Airborne Division, 101st Combat Av. Brigade – KIA @ Bagram, Afghanistan (August 24)



NEWS that makes me go Hmmmm......

RUSSIA
  • (August 31) Russia is developing a sea-based missile defense system based on the new S-500 system, which is expected to be deployed in 2017 (RT )

SYRIA
  • (August 29) Russian naval vessels leave Syria. Only the floating shipyard PM-138, all Russian personnel are aboard except two, and it has orders to return to Russia in September (Debka )
  • (August 30) Egyptian president Morsi calls for intervention in Syria, prompting the Syrian delegation to walk out of a meeting with 120 non-aligned nations (Yahoo News )
  • (September 1) Rebels seize an air defense facility and strike a military airport in Deir al-Zor Province in eastern Syria, following strikes on military airports near Aleppo and Idlib, near Turkey (Yahoo News )