October 6th Weekly Update

SHIP LOGS & EXERCISES:

Ship & Group Locations Checked & Updated (September 30 to October 6)

COUGAR 2012: (October to November'12) Major Naval / Amphibious Exercise with France in Mediterranean and Adriatic (MOD )

(Oct 1) HMS Illustrious sails from UK for COUGAR

(Oct 1-9) Amphibious EX at SW UK (Royal Navy )

(Oct 4) UK Marines storm beachs at Barnpool, Cornwall, UK (BBC )

(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 (CV)
• 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 )

(Oct 1) Exercise Begins (US Navy )

(Oct 2) VBSS Team Training

• 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
• Participants include US, UK, France, Canada, Holland, Belgium, Estonia, Norway and Sweden

FS Charles de Gaulle (CVN)

• (Oct 3) recently conducted joint training carrier exercise with ITS Cavour, as part of European Carrier Interoperability Initiative (Defense Ministry )

FS Tonnerre (LHD)

• (Oct 9) visiting Monaco

HMS Dauntless (DDG)

• (Oct 1) resumes Op. Martillo patrol in Caribbean with Colombian frigate ARC Antioquia and USS Underwood (US Navy )

HMS Diamond (DDG)

• (Oct 3) Air defense EX vs. USAF F-15's in the Arabian Gulf during IMCMEX (Royal Navy )

HMS Illustrious (CV)

• (Oct 1) sails from Portsmouth, UK for COUGAR 2012

USS Bonhomme Richard ARG (LHD-6)

• (Oct 1) in Philippine Sea
• (Oct 5) visits Subic Bay, Philippines

USS G. Washington CSG (CVN-73)

• (Oct 1) transit San Bernardino Strait / Philippine Sea

USS Nimitz (CVN-68)

• (Sept 29) en route to San Diego to take on CVW-11 for COMPTUEX ...EST deployment schedule updated

USS Stennis CSG (CVN-74)

• (Oct 2) visiting Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

USS Underwood (FFG-36)

• (Sept 29-30) visits GTMO following conclusion of UNITAS
• (Oct 1) resumes Op. Martillo patrol in Caribbean with Colombian frigate ARC Antioquia and HMS Dauntless ()

GROUND UNITS LOGS & EXERCISES:

US Ground units logs updated per DOD reports, up to (September 30 to October 6 ) (DOD News Releases )

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

• Chistoye Nebo 2012: (October 5-16) Air Defense Exercise in Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan; involves interception of cruise missiles (RIA Novosti )

USA

• 1^st Armored Division, Combat Aviation Brigade – will deploy to Afghanistan for 9-months in (February, 2013)
• 1^st Cavalry Division, 4^th Brigade – will deploy to Afghanistan for 9-months in (November, 2012)
• 173^rd Airborne Brigade – KIA @ Sayyid Abad, Afghanistan (Sept 29)
• 3^rd Special Forces Group – KIA @ Wardak, Afghanistan (Sept 28)
• 5^th Special Forces Group – KIA @ Bagram AB, Afghanistan (Oct 2)

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

IRAN

• (Oct 5) This week Irans currency, the Rial, plunged in value while the US Congress considers new sanctions (Yahoo News )

RUSSIA

• (Oct 4) President Lukashenko of Belarus is taking on the task of re-integrating Georgia back into the Russia-led CIS by next meeting in 2013 (ITAR-TASS )
• (Oct 5) Russia signs a 30-year agreement with Tajikistan, allowing the russian's to keep their base there, but possibly at the risk of clashing with the Taliban after 2014 (RIA Novosti )

SOMALIA

• (Oct 1) Sources report that the Kenyan Army's success at finally driving Al Shabaab out of Kismayu includes support by the US (drones and Intel), France (Supplies, weapons, and amphibious assault support), and Israel (counter-terror advisers) (Debka )
• MAP UPDATED

SYRIA

• (Oct 3) Turkey strikes targets in Syria after a mortar attack kills 5 in Turkish town Akcakale on border
• (Oct 4) Turkey establishes 10km buffer zone in N. Syria using saturation artillery strikes on Syrian army units and facilities, however NATO veto's no-fly zone. Next is planned to have the two Turkish commanded FSA units, North Liberators and Tawhid Brigade cut a 50km safe route to Aleppo from Killis, Turkey (Debka )
• (Oct 5) Syrian mortars strike targets in Turkey's border town Akcakale and Hatay Province, Turkish artillery strikes back (Yahoo News )
• MAP UPDATED