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