February 9th Weekly Update

SHIP LOGS & OPERATIONS

Ship & Group Locations Checked & Updated (February 3 to February 9)

CHINA

PLAN ?

• (Jan 30) PLAN-FFG targeted Japanese escort “Yuudachi”, Tokyo files formal protest with Beijing (BBC )

FRANCE

FS Aquitaine (FFG)

• (Feb 4) @ Levant Island testing range, New FREMM class frigate tested Astor-15 missile in Mediterranean (Defense Ministry )

FS Ch. Paul (DDG)

• (Feb 6) @ Gulf of Oman with USS Stennis CSG (Defense Ministry )

RUSSIA

RUSSIAN PACIFIC FLEET – KURIL ISLANDS NAVAL EXERCISE

• (Feb 5) Russian Pacific Fleet exercise including ships, fighters, artillery and border units (Rusnavy )

RFS Severomorsk TF

• (Feb 8) @ Bab el Mandeb Strait, escorting RFS Vitus Bering (Ice Breaker)
• (Feb 4) @ Gulf of Aden, begin anti-piracy patrol

UNITED KINGDOM

HMS Illustrious (CV)

• (Feb 14-18) @ Liverpool, UK
• (Feb 5) @ Atlantic, begin flight training, on-call for surge deployments
• (Feb 4) @ Portsmouth, UK for maintenance (Royal Navy )

HMS Monmouth (FFG)

• (Feb 4) @ Doha, Qatar, NATO dignitaries visit ship (Royal Navy )

HMS Queen Elizabeth (CV)

• (Feb 7) The Forward Island (Bridge) being delivered for installation

UNITED STATES

USS Barry (DDG-52)

• (Feb 7) @ Atlantic, Deploy to 6^th Fleet for ABM Duty (US Navy )

USS BH Richard ARG-Forward

• (Feb 6) @ Sasebo, Japan, USS Denver (LPD-9) conducts mass casualty drill
• (Feb 5) ARG in Philippine Sea

USS Boxer (ESG-3)

• (Feb 4) depart San Diego for underway period

USS Gary (FFG-51)

• (Feb 3) Executive Officer relieved of command ...currently deployed to 4^th Fleet (US Navy )

USS Higgins (DDG-76)

• (Feb 5) @ Koror, Palau

USS A. Lincoln (CVN-72)

• (Feb 8) @ Norfolk, RCOH Maintenance delayed due to lack of funding (US Navy )

USS Mahan (DDG-72)

• (Jan 28) @ Haifa, Israel ...currently deployed to 6^th Fleet (US Navy )

USS Nicholas (FFG)

• (Feb 4) @ Souda Bay, Greece ...currently on 6^th Fleet deployment

USS Nimitz CSG (Escorts)

• (Feb 5) Escorts @ Subic Bay, Philippines

USS Truman CSG

• (Feb 6) Sec of Defense delays Truman deployment due to budget constraints, CSG remains on standby, ORBAT updated (US Navy )
• (Feb 3) @ Norfolk, completed COMPTUEX (US Navy )

USS Vinson (CVN-70)

• (Feb 3) @ Pacific, PIA Maintenance Period Officially ends (US Navy )

USS Washington (CVN-73)

• (Feb 5) @ Yokosuka, international strategists visit ship

USS Wasp (LHD-1)

• (Feb 4) @ Norfolk conducting CMAV Maintenance

REGIONAL / OTHER – NAVAL LOGS

None Noted

GROUND UNITS, CONFLICTS & OPERATIONS LOGS

US Ground units logs updated per DOD reports, up to (February 3 to February 9)(DOD News Releases )

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

AFRICA

MALI

(Feb 8) French SOF, armor and Chadian troops assault Tessalit (Defense Ministry )

(Feb 5) French Defense Minster visiting, reviews Emergency Military Plan “Cheetah” used to rapidly deploy to Mali, meets troops being assigned to retrain and reorganize Mali's military (Defense Ministry )

(Feb 4) UPDATE... (Defense Ministry )

• French and African forces reinforce Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal
• French AF continue bombing rebel targets north of Kidal, and near Aguelhok & Tessalit

TUNISIA (ARAB SPRING)

• (Feb 7) Opposition leader killed, protests erupt in Gafsa, PM plans to form new technocratic cabinet (BBC )

AMERICAS

USA

• (Feb 7) NORAD exercise FALCON VIRGO 13-05

USA – CENTCOM

• (Feb 6) US media reveal CIA operating drone base in Saudi Arabia for targeted strikes in Yemen (BBC )

USA – PACOM / WESTPAC – JAPAN

• (Feb 5) @ Yokosuka, USS Antietam (CG-54) replaces Cowpens in hull-swap ceremony

ASIA / MIDDLE-EAST

AFGHANISTAN

• (Feb 7) UK Defense Sec. Visits Helmand Province for 2-days (GOV.UK )
• (Feb 7) US 1^st Infantry Division, 4^th Brigade – begin returning home
• (Jan 11) US 10^th Mountain Division – Deployment Ceremony @ Ft. Drum, NY

PACIFIC RIM – KURIL ISLANDS / NORTHERN TERRITORIES

• (Feb 7) Russian SU-27's violate Japanese airspace, Japan scrambles fighters (BBC )
• (Feb 6) Russia launches probe into media reports that their Kuril garrison were fed rotten food and left to starve (RIA Novosti )
• (Feb 5) Russian Pacific Fleet exercise including ships, fighters, artillery and border units (RIA Novosti )

PACIFIC RIM – E. CHINA SEA

• (Jan 30) PLAN-FFG targeted Japanese escort “Yuudachi”, Tokyo files formal protest with Beijing (BBC )

EUROPE

GAELIC VENTURE 2013

• Franco-British Joint Exercise (Defense Ministry )
• (Jan 31 – Feb 1)
• FRANCE – 2^nd Marine Infantry Regiment
• UK – 42 Commando, Royal Marines

KOSOVO

• (Feb 4) US Adm. Clingan (NATO-JFC, Naples) visits NATO forces in Kosovo (Defense Ministry )

UK – FALKLANDS ISLANDS

• (Feb 5) Argentina says Islands will be theirs in 20-years (Guardian )