November 23rd Weekly Update

SHIP LOGS & EXERCISES:

Ship & Group Locations Checked & Updated (November 18 to November 24)

ACTIVE EXERCISES:

COUGAR 2012 (October to November) @ Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas

• (Nov 19) Albanian President visited Illustrious during final phase of ALBANIAN LION off Vlore, Albania (Royal Navy )
• EXERCISE COMPLETED

CARAT 2012 (October to December) in WESTPAC

SHIP LOGS:

HMS Dragon (DDG)

• (Nov 20) off SW Wales for FOST training, training for humanitarian aid ops (Royal Navy )

HMS Illustrious (CV)

• (Nov 19) Albanian President visited Illustrious during final phase of ALBANIAN LION off Vlore, Albania (Royal Navy )

HMS Montrose (FFG)

• (Nov 22) Visited Algiers, Algeria for 2-days (Royal Navy )

HMS Northumberland (FFG)

• (Nov 20) visiting Crete after COUGAR 2012, preparing for Indian Ocean deployment (Royal Navy )

RFS Shaposhnikov TF

• (Nov 21) TF in Andaman Sea, plans to visit Mumbai, India and hold joint naval exercise (Rusnavy.com )

RFS Varyag (CG)

• (Nov 22) Def Min Shoigu visits Pacific Fleet HQ Vladivostok, and Cruiser Varyag (Rusnavy.com )

USS Eisenhower CSG

• (Nov 21) CSG to be recalled home early, and will then redeploy early in 2013 to allow Nimitz time to make unscheduled repairs (US Navy )

USS Greeneville (SSN-772)

• (Nov 19) visiting Singapore, currently on WESTPAC deployment (US Navy )

USS Hawaii (SSN-776)

• (Nov 20) returns to Pearl Harbor, WESTPAC deployment ends, remove from log (US Navy )

USS Iwo Jima ARG

• (Nov 17) ARG visiting Rota, Spain (US Navy )
• (Nov 20) in Atlantic off Gibraltar, media reports ARG returning to Mediterranean for possible ops in Israel (Debka )

USS Mt. Whitney (LCC-20)

• (Nov 19-21) visiting Monaco for National Day celebrations (US Navy )

USS Peleliu ARG

• (Nov 20) CNO visits USS Rushmore (LSD-47) in Arabian Gulf (US Navy )

USS Washington CSG

• (Nov 18) completes ammo off-load (US Navy ), Airwing completes fly-off
• (Nov 20) returns to Yokosuka, Japan, completes second half of it's 2012 deployment (US Navy )

GROUND UNITS LOGS & EXERCISES:

US Ground units logs updated per DOD reports, up to (November 18 to 24) (DOD News Releases )

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

ACTIVE EXERCISES:

• None Noted

UNIT LOGS:

FRANCE

• (Nov 20) France pulls it's last 500 troops from Kapisa, Afghanistan, ending it's combat support operations in Afghanistan. About 1,500 troops remain to recover equipment in theater, and 500 remain in a training role at Kabul's airport (Telegraph ) ...ORBAT Updated in Ground Units log

US

• 1^st Infantry Division, 4th Brigade – KIA at Paktia Province, Afghanistan (Nov 16)

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

AFGHANISTAN

• (Nov 20) Russia and Afghanistan plan expanded relations and projects after NATO leaves in 2014, and are actively pursuing the TAPI gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to India and CASA-1000 electric line from Tajikistan to Pakistan (Pravda )

ISRAEL

• (Nov 18) Pres. Obama demands IDF ground op delay to give cease fire negotiations a chance after Egyptian talks fail (Debka )
• (Nov 20) IDF drops fliers on Gaza City warning residents to leave the eastern outskirts, signaling a soon coming ground op (Debka )
• (Nov 21) Egypt and US broker cease fire
• (Nov 23) IDF forces fire on Palestinian protesters on Gaza border, killing one for attempting to breach fence (RIA Novosti )

MALI

• (Nov 19) UK denies it's planning to send troops to Mali in combat role, but is considering small training role (IB Times )
• (Nov 21) MUJAO kidnaps another french citizen in SW Mali. To date seven french hostages are in MUJAO hands (Yahoo )

N. KOREA

• (Nov 23) US detects NK preparing for missile launch (Bloomberg ) (Yahoo )

SYRIA

• (Nov 21) Syrian Jihadi rebels are in standoff with Kurdish PKK fighters in Ras al-Ain, near Turkish border (Yahoo )
• (Nov 22) Syrian Mujadeen rebels capture the Mayadeen army base in Deir el-Zour; Rebels also captured Aleppo's economic hub after capturing the nearby base for Syria's 46^th Regiment, and the Syrian AF destroy the last rebel field hospital in Aleppo (Huffington Post )
• (Nov 23) this week Turkey requested Patriot missiles be deployed on border with Syria, NATO and Russia discuss (Yahoo )

November 17 Weekly Update

SHIP LOGS & EXERCISES:

Ship & Group Locations Checked & Updated (November 11 to November 17)

ACTIVE EXERCISES:

COUGAR 2012 (October to November) @ Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas

• (Nov 12) HMS Bulwark visited Corfu, Greece (Royal Navy )
• (Nov 16) Royal Marines assault the cold war sub base on Sazan Island with Albania forces (MOD )
• (Nov 19-23) HMS Illustrious visiting Malta (Malta Today )

INDIAEX 2012 (October 19 to November 13) @ Mumbai, India

CARAT 2012 (October to December) in WESTPAC

• (Nov 8) Brunei Phase underway

KEEN SWORD 2013 (Nov 6 to 17??) in Pacific around Japan

SHIP LOGS:

HMS Bulwark (LPD)

• (Nov 12) Visited Corfu, Greece (Royal Navy )

HMS Diamond (DDG)

• (Nov 15) visiting Muscat, Oman (Royal Navy )

HMS Illustrious (CV)

• (Nov 19-23) visiting Malta (Malta Today )

HMS Monmouth (FFG)

• (Nov 16) training in E. Mediterranean, preping for Indian Ocean Patrol (Royal Navy )

RFA Argus (Support)

• (Nov 16) joins HNLMS Van Amstel (FFG) for EX Carib Venture counter-drug op in Caribbean (Royal Navy )

RFS Moskva TF

• (Nov 15) RFS Smetlivy (DDG) oil pump breaks, repaired at Taranto day after IONEX ends, leaves port (Nov 13) to join TF for combat training in E. Mediterranean (Rusnavy.com )

USS Iwo Jima ARG

• (Nov 10-12) USS Gunston Hall (LSD-44) visiting Toulon, France (US Navy )

USS Nimitz CSG

• (Nov 12) Completes JTFEX (US Navy ) ...ETA Deployment may be in December now, ORBAT updated
• NOTE: this is a very heavy CSG, additional escorts may be to compliment Stennis CSG, which deployed with only one CG. Expect this CSG to replace Eisenhower CSG. However, this CSG compliment is what you would expect to see if one were wanting additional units in theater for naval combat ops. If action is being planned, watch Washington CSG and Truman. If Washington shifts to CENTCOM and Truman is begins COMPTUEX and JTFEX before Jan'2013, expect trouble.

USS Washington CSG

• (Nov 6) Begin EX KEEN SWORD 2013 with JSDF (US Navy )

USS Wasp (LHD-1) HURRICANE SANDY RESPONSE FLAGSHIP

• (Nov 12) Amphibious ships and 26^th MEU return to Norfolk and Camp Lejune, Hurricane Sandy sortie ends (US Navy )

GROUND UNITS LOGS & EXERCISES:

US Ground units logs updated per DOD reports, up to (November 11 to 17) (DOD News Releases )

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

ACTIVE EXERCISES:

• None Noted

UNIT LOGS:

UK

• The Royal Scots Borderers, 1^st Battalion – KIA @ Patrol Base Shawqat near Nad-e Ali, in Helmand Province, Afghanistan

US

• 1^st Infantry Division, 4^th Brigade – KIA @ Ghazni Province, Afghanistan (Nov 9)
• 1^st Infantry Division, 4^th Brigade – KIA @ Zerok, Afghanistan (Nov 12)
• 2^nd Infantry Division, 4^th Stryker Brigade – KIA @ Kandahar Province, Afghanistan (Nov 13)
• 25^th Infantry Division, 25^th Combat Aviation Brigade – KIA @ Kandahar (Nov 9)

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

ISRAEL

• (Nov 14) IDF launches attacks on HAMAS leaders, rocket crews and stores in Gaza, kills HAMAS top commander, larger conflict threatened by HAMAS, Iran and Egypt
• (Nov 17) Gaza conflict continues, IDF bombs HAMAS government buildings, calls up 75,000 reservist for possible ground operation; Palestinian rocket squads have fired hundreds of rockets, including long range rockets at Tel Aviv; IDF Iron Dome anti-missile system has intercepted about 222 rockets since Wednesday, about 37% of all launches, Tanks and self-propelled artillery units seen massing along border with Gaza (Yahoo )

MALI

• (Nov 16) The current plan for foreign-backed offensive to retake northern Mali expects 6-months to prepare, which includes the stabilization of the Bamako government and talks with the Islamist groups, followed by a 120-day offensive and 3-months of stabilization (Yahoo - EXCLUSIVE )
• (Nov 16) Nigeria says their army could be on the ground in Mali within weeks of the UNSC approving the ECOWAS plan (UPI )
• (Nov 16) MUJAO islamist militia attacks the secular NMLA near Ansongo, Mali, near Gao (Yahoo )

SOMALIA

• (Nov 11) meeting in Garowe, Puntland supporting the request to form the state of Jubaland, which includes Gedo and Lower / Middle Jubba regions (All Africa )
• (Nov 13) Somalia's Federal Parliament gave a vote of approval for Prime Minister Shirdon's 10-minister Cabinet (All Africa )

SYRIA

• (Nov 17) rebels capture Syrian airbase at Hamdan airport, near the rebel city of Albu Kamal, in the Deir al-Zor province, near the Iraqi border. Syria's last airbase in Deir al-Zor is at Deir al-Zor city (Yahoo )

MAPPING UPDATES

• Afghanistan
• Atlantic
• Indian Ocean / WESTPAC
• Mali
• Mediterranean
• Syria

November 10th Weekly Update

SHIP LOGS & EXERCISES:

Ship & Group Locations Checked & Updated (November 4 to November 10)

ACTIVE EXERCISES:

COUGAR 2012 (October to November) @ Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas

INDIAEX 2012 (October 19 to November 13) @ Mumbai, India

CARAT 2012 (October to December) in WESTPAC

• (Nov 8) Brunei Phase underway

CUTLASS EXPRESS 2012 (November 1 to 8) Joint anti-piracy EX off East Africa

IONIEX-2012 (November 5 to 10) Joint Russian-Italian Naval EX in Mediterranean

• (Nov 9) Sea Phase begins (Rusnavy.com )

MAVI BALINA 2012 (November 5 to 10?) Trilateral training exercise in eastern Mediterranean with Turkey, Pakistan and US Navy

• (Nov 5) Exercise begins (US Navy )

SHIP LOGS:

FS Floreal (FFG)

• (Nov 3) as of (Oct 26) has participated in European piracy patrol in Indian Ocean (Defense Minitry )

FS Siroco (LST)

• (Nov 9) on (Oct 17-22) and (Oct 27 – Nov 2) visited Port-Gentil, Gabon to participate in amphibious operations course (Defense Ministry )

HMS Diamond (DDG)

• (Nov 9) Escorts IKECSG in Arabian Sea (Royal Navy )

HMS Dragon (DDG)

• (Nov 9) visiting Fowey, UK for 3-days, currently undertaking OST training, preparing for new years deployment (Royal Navy )

HMS Queen Elizabeth (CV)

• (Nov 5) Aft section being towed down the Clyde, beginning 600-mile trip to Rosyth for attaching (Royal Navy )

RFA Argus (Support)

• (Nov 9) visited St. Vincent, celebrated 33years of independence (Royal Navy )

RFS Moskva (CG)

• (Nov 9) The Black Sea Fleet will be sending a task force to the Gulf of Aden led by the Moskva, and including units currently in Mediterranean (Rusnavy.com )

USS Bataan (LHD-5)

• (Nov 8) Sec of Navy Mabus visits ship during reception for UF Gators vs. Georgetown Hoyas game

USS Bonhomme Richard ARG

• (Nov 5) off-loading 31^st MEU equipment at Okinawa

USS Boise (SSN-764)

• (Nov 8) returns from EUCOM deployment (US Navy )

USS Carr (FFG-52)

• (Nov 7) assists Panamanian fishing vessel in East Pacific (US Navy )

USS Enterprise CSG

• (Nov 4) Returns to Norfolk, Deployment ENDS

USS Iwo Jima ARG

• (Nov 9) in Mediterranean

USS Jacksonville (SSN-699)

• (Nov 5) Departs Pearl Harbor for 6-month deployment to WESTPAC (US Navy )

USS Mustin (DDG-89)

• (Nov 9) added to Washington CSG in Philippine Sea

USS Nimitz (CVN-68)

• (Nov 8) in Pacific participating in JTFEX

USS T. Roosevelt (CVN-71)

• (Nov 5) Fast Cruise completed with full complement (US Navy )
• (Nov 6) Wardroom-3 reopened for first time in 3-years (US Navy )

USS Washington CSG

• (Nov 5) CSG in Philippine Sea

USS Wasp (LHD-1) HURRICANE SANDY RESPONSE FLAGSHIP

• (Nov 4) Task Force arrives off NY and NJ, begin damage assessments and ferrying supplies (US Navy )
• (Nov 5) DOD Task Force Update (DOD )
• (Nov 6) DOD Task Force Update (DOD )
• (Nov 7) DOD Task Force Update (DOD ), USS San Antonio and Carter Hall repositioned due to storm, Wasp remains at anchor at Breezy Point, NY
• (Nov 8) DOD Task Force Update (DOD )
• (Nov 9) DOD Task Force Update (DOD ), 26^th MEU relocating generators via helicopter

GROUND UNITS LOGS & EXERCISES:

US Ground units logs updated per DOD reports, up to (November 4 to 10) (DOD News Releases )

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

ACTIVE EXERCISES:

AUSTERE CHALLENGE EXERCISE (October 21 – November 11) in Israel

• (Oct 21) EX Begins (RIA Novosti )

UNIT LOGS:

US

• 2^nd Infantry Division, 3^rd Stryker Brigade – KIA @ Kandahar Province, Afghanistan

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

IRAN

• (Nov 9) Iranian SU-25 fighters intercepted US Predator drone 16nm off Iranian coast, fire on but miss, and follow before returning to Iranian airspace, Washington lodges protest (Yahoo )

LIBYA

• (Nov 7) Rival militias battle in Tripoli, and a car bomb is detonated at police station in Benghazi (Yahoo )

MALI

• (Nov 9) Burkina Faso Foreign Affairs Minister says war in Mali inevitable, and ECOWAS must act (Yahoo ); News battle plan being submitted to UNSC includes Mali troops supported by foreign air power to drive Islamists from N. Mali (Yahoo )

SOMALIA

• (Nov 9) Somali Al-Shabaab Islamist rebels escape to N. Somali autonomous region Puntland, camp in mountains west of Bossaso, an area known for rough terrain (Yahoo )

SYRIA

• (Nov 4) 5,000 Lebanese Hizballah fighters, including heavy artillery and Chinese WS-1 Katyusha mobile rocket launcher systems (302mm) join fight against FSA rebels at Homs, Syria, and is being used to seal off rebel supply routes through the Lebanese border
• (Nov 5) IDF Golani Brigade Patrol commander jeep shot up while on patrol along the Syrian border by long-distance small arms fire. IDF and IAF on high alert. Syrian rebels capture Syrian border town of Quneitra
• (Nov 6) Israel warns Syria to desist from violating the Golan or Israeli border areas. Any further violations will be opposed (Debka )
• (Nov 9) 8,000 Syrian refugees flee fighting, cross into Turkey, in last 24 hours; Rebels capture Ras al-Ain along Turkish border (Yahoo )
• (Nov 10) Israel fires warning shots into Syria after mortar shells hit Israeli occupied Golan (Yahoo )

MAPPING UPDATES

• Atlantic
• Indian Ocean / WESTPAC
• Mediterranean
• Somalia
• Syria

November 3rd Weekly Update

SHIP LOGS & EXERCISES:

Ship & Group Locations Checked & Updated (October 28 to November 3)

ACTIVE EXERCISES:

COUGAR 2012 (October to November) @ Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas

INDIAEX 2012 (October 19 to November 13) @ Mumbai, India

CARAT 2012 (October to December) in WESTPAC

CUTLASS EXPRESS 2012 (November 1 to 8) Joint anti-piracy EX off East Africa

IONIEX-2012 (November 5 to 10) Joint Russian-Italian Naval EX in Mediterranean

SHIP LOGS:

HMS Clyde (Patrol)

• (Nov 2) rescues injured yachtswoman off South George (Royal Navy )

HMS Dauntless (DDG)

• (Oct 30) returns to UK, deployment ENDS, removed from log (Royal Navy )

HMS Monmouth (FFG)

• (Oct 30) Visiting Souda Bay, Crete

HMS Sutherland (FFG)

• (Nov 2) visited Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (Royal Navy )

HMS Trenchant (SSN)

• (Nov 1) visiting Diego Garcia for 6-days

INS Viraat (CV)

• (Nov 3) at Kochi for 3-month refit (The Hindu )

RFS Marshall Shaposhnikov (DDG)

• (Nov 2) departs Vladivostok for Indian Ocean anti-piracy patrol, plans to participate in SAREX with India at Mumbai, and make port calls at Thailand, S. Korea, Djibouti and Seychelles (Rusnavy.com )

RFS Marshall Ustinov (CG)

• (Oct 26) placing in Zvezdochka Ship Repair Center for overhaul, planning to refloat in May'13 (Rusnavy.com )

RFS Novocherkassk (LST)

• (Oct 29) departs Greece, continues Mediterranean deployment (Rusnavy.com )

RFS Smetlivy (DDG)

• (Nov 2) visiting Malta (Naval Today )

USS Bataan (LHD-5)

• (Nov 2) arrives at Mayport, FL for “Week of Valor” (US Navy )

USS Bonhomme Richard ARG

• (Oct 29) ARG visiting Hong Kong (US Navy )

USS Bremerton (SSN-698)

• (Oct 29) begins WESTPAC deployment (US Navy )

USS Carr (FFG-52)

• (Oct 25) Recovered 1,719 pounds of cocaine during Operation Martillo patrol in Caribbean (US Navy )

USS Enterprise CSG

• (Oct 30) Scheduled to return to US on November 4^th from final deployment (US Navy )
• (Oct 31) visiting Mayport, FL, off-loading equipment and helicopter squadron

USS Ft. McHenry (LSD-43)

• (Nov 1) departs Durres, Albania after 5-day visit (US Navy )

USS Gary (FFG-51)

• (Oct 28) visiting Golfito, Costa Rica (US Navy )

USS Nimitz (CVN-68)

• (Nov 1) conducting COMPTUEX

USS Peleliu ARG

• (Oct 30) arrives in 5^th Fleet AOR (US Navy )

USS Ponce (AFSB(I)-15)

• (Oct 29) rescues fisherman off coast of Bahrain (US Navy )

USS Underwood (FFG-36)

• (Oct 26) depart Roatan, Honduras (US Navy )
• (Oct 30) returns to Mayport, FL from final deployment (US Navy ) ...removed from log

USS Washington CSG

• (Nov 1) in East China Sea
• (Nov 2) FFG Vandegrift commanding officer removed due to wardroom officers misconduct during visit to Vladivostok, Russia (US Navy )

USS Wasp (LHD-1) HURRICANE SANDY RESPONSE FLAGSHIP

• (Oct 29) Emergency sortie from Norfolk ahead of Hurricane Sandy, Response Sortie formed by DOD (DOD )
• (Nov 1) positioning 5-miles off Brooklyn, providing Hurricane Sandy assistance, on-load 26^th MEU (DOD )

GROUND UNITS LOGS & EXERCISES:

US Ground units logs updated per DOD reports, up to (October 28 to November 3) (DOD News Releases )

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

ACTIVE EXERCISES:

AUSTERE CHALLENGE EXERCISE (October 21 – November 11) in Israel

• (Oct 21) EX Begins (RIA Novosti )

UNIT LOGS:

UK

• Royal Gurkha Rifles, 1^st Battalion – KIA @ Nahr-e Saraj, Helmand, Afghanistan (Oct 30) (MOD )

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

CHINA

• (Oct 31) PLAN patrol ships force Japanese Coast Guard ships to leave the disputed Senkaku / Diaoyu Islands (Rusnavy.com )

SOMALIA

• (Nov 2) Uganda threatens to pull it's 6,000 troops from Somalia if the UN accepts a report that they support rebels in North Kivu, Congo (Yahoo )

SYRIA

• (Oct 30) FSA assassinates top Syrian AF General (RIA Novosti )

MAPPING UPDATES

• Indian Ocean / WESTPAC
• Mediterranean