January 26 Weekly Update

SHIP LOGS & OPERATIONS:

Ship & Group Locations Checked & Updated (January 20 to 26)

SHIP LOGS:

GABIAN EX 2013 (Defense Ministry )

• (Jan 28 – Feb 1, 2013)
• NATO French / Italian Naval Exercise in Mediterranean
• Participating Units...
  • DDG – FS Jean de Vienne
  • DDG – FS Jean Bart
  • FFG – FS La Fayette
  • FFG – FS C. Birot
  • FFG – FS EV Jacoubet
  • FFG – ITS Libeccio
  • MCM – FS Lyre
  • MCM – FS Orion
  • MCM – FS Pluton
  • Supply – FS Meuse

FS CD Gaulle (CVN)

• (Jan 24) begin dockside maintenance (Defense Ministry )

FS Dixmude (LHD)

• (Jan 24) Enroute to Mali, escorted by FS Henaff (FFG) (Defense Ministry )
• (Jan 21) Deploying to Mali Operation Serval, onloading Army equipment and HQ (GTIA) (Defense Ministry )

HMS Illustrious (CV)

• (Jan 23) planning to visit Liverpool, UK on (Feb 14-18), may be last visit before decommissioning (Liverpool Local News )

HMS Queen Elizabeth (CV)

• (Jan 25) Rolls Royce installs 1^st MT30 gas turbine (Yahoo )

RUSSIAN TASK FORCE TO SYRIA

• (Jan 21) Baltic and Black Sea Fleet ships complete amphibious landing EX near Novorossiysk (Rusnavy )
• (Jan 20) Begin large naval exercise in Mediterranean and Black Sea, runs until (Jan 29), ORBAT updated (RIA Novosti )(RIA Novosti )(Rusnavy )

USS BH Richard ARG-Forward

• (Jan 24) Deploys for WESTPAC patrol and Cobra Gold EX with Thailand (US Navy )
• (Jan 22) LSD-Tortuga arrives at Okinawa

USS Bradley (FFG-49)

• (Jan 25) @ Souda Bay, on 6^th Fleet deployment

USS Ford (CVN-78)

• (Jan 25) redesigned island finished, placed on deck (Jan 26) (Stars & Stripes )

USS Kearsarge ARG

• (Jan 23) Atlantic, conducting Amphibious EX and Marine unit integration EX, prep for Spring'13 deployment

USS Nimitz CSG

• (Jan 20-23) DDG's conduct USWEX (US Navy )

USS Roosevelt (CVN-71)

• (Jan 22) @ Newport News, 3^rd Fleet Readiness EX (US Navy )
• (Jan 17) Deputy Sec of Defense visits ship during RCOH (US Navy )

USS Thach (FFG-43)

• (Jan 20) arrives in 4^th Fleet “Operation Martillo” AOR (US Navy )

GROUND UNITS LOGS & OPERATIONS:

US Ground units logs updated per DOD reports, up to (January 20 to 26) (DOD News Releases )

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

LOG UPDATES:

ERITREA – NEWS

• (Jan 21) A group of soldiers stage coup, force statement on Eritrean TV, Loyal troops and tanks surround Ministry of Information building (BBC )(Martin Plaut Blog )

KOREA

• (Jan 23) UN condemns NK rocket launch and expands sanctions, NK threatens to expand military / nuclear capabilities (BBC )

LEBANON (UNIFIL)

• (Jan 16) @ RCF Camp Deyr Kifa, French and Lebanese military delegations meet to discuss improving cooperation in check points, infantry armored ops, intervention and de-mining (Defense Ministry )

N. CAUCASUS

• (Jan 22) Russian Interior Ministry reports that 42 Islamist militants were killed in 2012 (however, Putin mentioned in October that 300 were killed in a few months) (RIA Novosti )

MALI

• (Jan 26) UPDATE...
• French / Mali troops retake Hombori, warplanes bomb Gao (BBC )
• French / Mali troops retake Gao airport (BBC )
• Niger and Chad troops staging in Niger on border near Gao, readying for flanking offensive
• (Jan 25) UPDATE...
• UK 1-R1 Sentinel from RAF No.5 (Army Coop) Squadron deploys to Mali (MOD )
• (Jan 24) UPDATE... (Defense Ministry )
• French 21^st Marine Infantry Reg reinforces Diabaly
• FS Dixmude (LHD) and Henaff (FFG) enroute
• (Jan 23) UPDATE... (Defense Ministry )
• French and Mali forces improve defenses in Sevare and Diabaly and consolidate supply lines
• French and Mali forces are reinforcing a defensive line from Diabaly to Konna to prevent infiltration by Islamist groups
• FRENCH 3^rd Marine Infantry Reg and Air Commando units assigned to protect Bamako airport during buildup phase
• AU troops deploy to Bamako and Niamey
• (Jan 22) UPDATE...(Defense Ministry )
• UK considers increasing assistance to French forces battling Islamists, possibly additional transport and surveillance, but not ground combat troops (BBC )
• @ Markala, French Troops arrive, pursuing militants north from Diabaly
• @ Serval, Tactical Sub-Group-2 consolidates and patrols to prevent militant offensive actions
• (Jan 21) UPDATE...
• USA begins transporting French troops and equipment from Istres, France to Bamako, Mali
• French and Mali troops recapture Diabaly and Douentza (BBC )
• FS Dixmude (LHD) deploys to Mali with Battle Group-2 HQ and equipment
• FRENCH 3^rd Marine Infantry units arrive in theater

RUSSIA

• (Jan 16) Russia is rebuilding military for dominance (Bible Prophecy Blog )

S CHINA SEA

• (Jan 22) Philippines says it will take the S. China Sea dispute with China to UN Tribunal for resolution (BBC )
• (2012) China vs. Philippines Scarborough Shoal standoff

SYRIA

• (Jan 26) Syrian army steps up offensive in Homs (Yahoo )
• (Jan 22) Russia sends two planes to Beirut, Lebanon to evacuate Russian civilians from Syria (RIA Novosti )
• (Jan 21) 2-German Patriot II batteries arrived in Turkey by ship, will be placed at Kahramanmaras, Turkey, about 62 miles from the Syrian border; Netherlands and USA also sent 2-batteries each (RIA Novosti )

USA – AFRICOM

• (Jan 21-23) @ Casablanca, Morocco military and civilian Naval planners finalize agenda for Sahara Express 2013 (US Navy )
• (Jan 8) 22^nd MEU deploys to support AFRICOM training and quick reaction forces (Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force) (US Marines )

USA – GUAM

• (Jan 22) USAF deploys 2-B2 stealth bombers from 509^th Bomb Wing, Whiteman AFB, Missouri (KPUA )

USA – JAPAN (WESTPAC)

• (Jan 25) @ Port Hera Navy Base, Timor-Leste CARAT Begins, US Marine Fleet Anti-Terror Security Team (FAST) training with F-FDTL (US Navy )

MAPPING UPDATES

Mapping file damaged, being recreated :(

• Americas (Caribbean, Atlantic, Pacific)
• Indian Ocean
• Mali
• Mediterranean
• Pacific / Indian Ocean
• Syria

January 19th Weekly Update

SHIP LOGS & OPERATIONS:

Ship & Group Locations Checked & Updated (January 6 to 19)

SHIP LOGS:

HMS Edinburgh (DDG)

• (Jan 7) depart Simon's Town, S. Africa after 2-weeks of maintenance, heading back to Falklands Islands (Royal Navy )

HMS Monmouth (FFG)

• (Jan 16) Conduct joint training with HMS Atherstone in Persian Gulf (Royal Navy )
• (Jan 1) visited Bahrain, conducted Board and Search EX at training center (Royal Navy )

HMS Northumberland (FFG)

• (Jan 9) visited Dar es Salam, Tanzania (Royal Navy )

HMS St. Albans (FFG)

• (Jan 17) Assists floundering fishing boat off S. UK (Royal Navy )

RUSSIAN TASK FORCE TO SYRIA

• (Dec 27) LSTs N. Filchenkov and Azov pass Turkish Straits
• (Dec 24) LSTs N. Filchenkov and Azov depart Novocherkassk

USS BH Richard ARG-Forward

• (Jan 15) USS Germantown (LSD-42) Departs Japan for WESTPAC Spring Deployment (US Navy )
• (Jan 14) USS Tortuga (LSD-46) Departs Japan for WESTPAC Spring Deployment

USS Boxer (LHD-4)

• (Jan 11) Holds change of command ceremony while underway in Pacific (US Navy )

USS Bremerton (SSN-698)

• (Dec 29) arrives at Guam during WESTPAC deployment (US Navy )

USS Gary (FFG-51)

• (Jan 4) Seizes $22m of drugs and sinks boat during Op. Martillo patrol (US Navy )

USS G.H.W. Bush (CVN-77)

• (Jan 15) Ammo onload in Atlantic
• (Jan 7) depart Norfolk, in Atlantic conducting carrier qualifications

USS Gonzalez (DDG-66)

• (Jan 4) departs Norfolk for 5^th Fleet deployment (US Navy )

USS Nimitz CSG

• (Jan 14) DDG's Higgins, Stockdale and WP Lawrence deploy to CENTCOM (FOX-5 )
• (Jan 9) DDG Shoup Deploys to CENTCOM, Nimitz in port for maintenance, will join in a couple months (Herald )

USS Thach (FFG-43)

• (Jan 8) departs San Diego for 4^th Fleet deployment (US Navy )

USS Truman CSG

• (Jan 14) begins COMPTUEX in Atlantic, includes Canadian and German ships, ORBAT updated (US Navy )

GROUND UNITS LOGS & OPERATIONS:

US Ground units logs updated per DOD reports, up to (January 6 to 12) (DOD News Releases )

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

LOG UPDATES:

AFGHANISTAN

• (Jan 17) US / Kyrgyzstan continue talks to keep Transit Center open (RIA Novosti )
• (Jan 16) UK The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, 1^st Battalion – KIA @ Lashkar Gah District, Helmand Province (Jan 14 ambush)
• (Jan 16) UK Welsh Guards return to UK from 6-month patrol, Parade in Wales, UK (MOD )
• (Jan 16) US 2^nd Infantry Division, 4^th Stryker – KIA @ Panjwai District, Kandahar Province
• (Jan 10) US 3^rd Infantry Division, 1^st Brigade – KIA @ Khogyani District, Nangarhar Province

MALI

• (Jan 19) Mali army recaptures Diabaly
• (Jan 18) Activities...
• Banamba on alert, reinforced with 100-Malian troops as civilians report an Islamist convoy has left Diabaly for Banamba; FRANCE SOF close in on Diabaly (Yahoo )
• Mali captures Konna after 48-hr battle
• 2-5,000-Islamists fighters / irregulars (current estimate)
• Al Qaeda offers to exchange 2-US hostages for two jailed terrorists (Debka )
• 1-US Hostage found dead, 2-escape (NBC )
• (Jan 17) Algerian AF helicopters attack gas plant, 15-Islamists and 34-hostages killed; AU-reinforcements arrive
• 100-troops (Togo)
• Battalion 1 (Nigeria)
• (Jan 16) Activities...
• Mali begins reinforcing Banamba;
• Islamists attack Sahara gas plant in Algeria
• 100-French Marines w/ 18-vehicles hold Markala bridge
• (Jan 15) FRANCE plans to deploy 2,500 troops to Mali (FOX News )
• FRANCE deploys it's Ivory Coast garrison to Mali by truck convoy
• FRANCE orders the evacuation of French citizens from Segou
• (Jan 14) Islamists capture Diabaly, security forces escape to Dogofri
• (Jan 13) US military verified providing transportation and communications assistance
• (Jan 10) FRANCE begins operation to retake N. Mali from Islamist militant groups. (FOX News )
• French AF jets and attack helicopters based in Chad begin bombing Islamist facilities and formations N of Mopti, reports of French Helo being downed and pilot killed
• French AF bomb Islamist HQ in Gao
• 1,000-AU Troops arrive (Burkina Faso, Niger)
• UK offers Transport aircraft
• 400-French SOF secure Bamako from Islamist retaliation strikes
• (Jan 9) Islamists capture Konna, 30-miles N of governments LOC near Mopti, where Army forces are gathering

SOMALIA

• (Jan 19) US recognizes Somali government (Yahoo )
• (Jan 17) Somali Islamist group Al-Shabbab executes French hostage Allex after botched raid to free him last Thursday (FOX News )

MAPPING UPDATES

• Mapping file damaged, being recreated :(
• MALI Updated