March 30th Weekly Update

SHIP LOGS & OPERATIONS Ship & Group Locations Checked & Updated (March 24 to 30)

CHINA SOUTH SEA FLEET (Mar 29) S. Fleet: Jinggangshan TF @ S. China Sea, en-route to W. Pacific for patrol / training (Peoples Daily ) 13th NAVAL ESCORT TASK FORCE (Mar 28) 13th ETF – PLAN Hengyang (FFG) @ Malta, 5-day visit (Peoples Daily ) FRANCE FS Aquitaine (Frigate) (Mar 3-20) @ Caribbean, Activity update... (Defense Ministry ) RUSSIA NONE UNITED KINGDOM HMS Edinburgh (Destroyer) (Mar 28) @ Portsmouth, UK, Deployment ends (Royal Navy ) HMS Monmouth (Frigate) (Mar 26) @ Arabian Gulf, conduct “Approach and Assist” visits with local fishing vessels (Royal Navy ) HMS Richmond (Frigate) (Mar 25) @ Atlantic off UK SW coast , Test Sea Wolf missiles (Royal Navy ) HMS St. Albans (Frigate) (Mar 27) @ Norway, final shoot using current MOD 0 gun, will install new MOD 1 4.5” Kryten gun during refit (Royal Navy ) HMS Trenchant (Hunter-Killer Sub) (Mar 26) @ Indian Ocean, reach 9-month mark, continue on patrol (Royal Navy ) RFA Fort Victoria (Support) (Mar 28) @ Arabian Gulf, heading to Indian Ocean, begin service as CTF-151 Flagship for 3-months (Royal Navy ) UNITED STATES USS Asheville (SSN-758) (Mar 26) @ NB Point Loma, CA, Deploy to WESTPAC for 6-months (US Navy ) USS Boxer (LHD-4) (Mar 20) @ Pacific off S. California, training with VMA-214 and VMM-166; On-loading ammo USS Eisenhower CSG (Mar 24) @ Arabian Sea, begin OEF combat sorties (US Navy ) USS Essex (LHD-2) (Mar 24) @ San Diego, enter drydock for 18-month refit, will return to fleet in 2014 USS Freedom (LCS-1) (Mar 29) @ Guam (US Navy ) USS Kearsarge ARG (Mar 26) @ Straits of Gibraltar USS Reagan (CVN-76) (Mar 25) CG Chancellorsville @ San Diego, begin training exercise USS Reuben James (FFG-57) (Mar 25) @ Manilla, Philippines (Peoples Daily ) USS Stennis CSG (Mar 28) DDG WS Churchill @ Norfolk, end deployment to CENTCOM (US Navy ) (Mar 27) CSG @ 7th Fleet AOR (Mar 27) DDG Dunham @ Funchal, Portugal (Mar 26) DDG WS Churchill & Farragut @ Atlantic, en-route to homeport REGIONAL / OTHER – NAVAL LOGS FGS Hesse (Frigate) (Mar 25) @ Mediterranean on SNMG-1 patrol, completed 2nd recon mission (German Navy ) ITS San Marco (LHD) (Mar 22) @ Hobyo, Somalia, Providing medical assistance to local population (Italian Navy )

GROUND UNITS, CONFLICTS & OPERATIONS LOGS US Ground units logs updated per DOD reports, up to (March 17 to 23) (DOD News Releases ) France, UK, Russia, China Army logs updated per various news releases and open sources

AFRICA MALI (Mar 27) UK training personnel from The Irish Regiment (1 Batt), 45 Commando and 29 Commando, and from Irish Defense Force begin arriving in Mali to form 40-man training team (UK-MOD ) AMERICAS NONE ASIA / MIDDLE-EAST AFGHANISTAN (Mar 27) US 101st Airborne Division, 1st BCT – KIA @ Shinwar District, Nangarhar Province (DOD ) (Mar 25) UK The Mercian Reg, 1 Batt – KIA @ Nad 'Ali District (UK-MOD ) (Mar 21) US 1st Special Forces Group, 4th Batt – KIA in Paktia (transferred to Landstuhl, Germany) (DOD ) KOREA (Mar 30) NK states entering “state of war” with SK (BBC ) (RIA Novosti ) (Mar 29) NK places strategic rocket forces on standby to strike US/SK targets (RIA Novosti ) (Mar 28) USAF B-2 Stealth Bombers fly training mission to SK (RIA Novosti ) RUSSIA (Mar 29) @ Anapa, Putin attends snap military exercise testing Black Sea Army / Naval units before Olympics (RIA Novosti ) SYRIA (Mar 28) Saudi Arabia supplying Smerch & Hurricane 220mm MLRS launchers to syrian rebels in a bid to capture Nairab AB near Aleppo (Debka ) EUROPE FRANCE – CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC (Mar 29) CAR – Seleka Rebels seize control in Bangui, president flees as fighting in capital simmers, mining contracts with S. Africa and China under review (BBC ) (Mar 24) CAR – French forces reinforce positions in capital to protect french nationals and assets during rebel advance (Defense Ministry )

MAPPING UPDATES

NONE

March 23 Weekly Update

 

SHIP LOGS & OPERATIONS Ship & Group Locations Checked & Updated (March 17 to 23)

CHINA SOUTH SEA FLEET (Mar 19) S. Sea Fleet conducting Exercises in S. China Sea, Ships include LPD – Jinggangshan, DDG – Lanzhou, FFG – Hengshui, FFG – Yulin (Peoples Daily ) (Peoples Daily ) FRANCE FS Aquitaine (Frigate) (Mar 20) @ Caribbean, Joint training with FS Germinal ...on Long-Duration patrol (Defense Ministry ) FS Germinal (Frigate) (Mar 20) @ Caribbean, Joint training with FS Aquitaine ...on Caribbean patrol (Defense Ministry) FS Courbet (Frigate) (Mar 9-13) @ Seychelles, Anti-Piracy training with Seychelles Coastguard (Defense Ministry ) FS Mistral (LHD) (Mar 4-7) @ Gabon, Amphibious Exercise with Gabonese and French FFG troops off Libreville (Defense Ministry ) FS Tonnerre TF (Jeanne de Arc Task Force) (Mar 19) @ Straights of Gibraltar, Amphibious EX RUSSIA MEDITERRANEAN TASK FORCE (Mar 21) Russia denies planning to move it's resupply base to Beirut (RIA Novosti ) (Mar 17) Russia plans to maintain 5-6 warships (CG & FFG with Support) at all times, commanded by 25-Officers from the Black Sea Fleet HQ (RIA Novosti ) (RIA Novosti ) UNITED KINGDOM HMS Argyll (Frigate) (Mar 18) @ Atlantic off Cape Verde, rescue fisherman on Japanese trawler Wakashio Maru (MOD ) HMS Dragon (Destroyer) (Mar 19) @ Portsmouth, Deploys to Middle East for 7-Months (Royal Navy ) HMS Edinburgh (Destroyer) (Mar 21) @ Atlantic, returning home by end of month (Royal Navy ) HMS Kent (Frigate) (Mar 25) @ Portsmouth, UK, Begin Indian Ocean Deployment (Royal Navy ) HMS Monmouth (Frigate) (Mar 20) @ Arabian Gulf, reaches 5-mth mark (Royal Navy ) HMS Northumberland (Frigate) (Mar 19) @ Gulf of Oman, intercept drug boat (MOD ) HMS Somerset (Frigate) (Mar 21) @ Devonport, UK, rejoins fleet after 9-month refit (Royal Navy ) UNITED STATES USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) (Mar 22) SECDEF cancels SOUTHCOM deployment (US Navy ) USS BH Richard ARG-FORWARD (Mar 21) @ White Beach, Okinawa, completes CERTEX (US Navy ) (Mar 15) @ Philippine Sea off Okinawa, conduct NEO drill ...on WESTPAC Deployment (US Navy ) USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) FORWARD (Mar 16) @ Kure, Japan (US Navy ) USS Cheyenne (SSN-773) (Mar 20) @ Busan, SK, participating in FOAL EAGLE 2013 (US Navy ) USS Eisenhower CSG (Mar 15) @ Red Sea, arrive in 5th Fleet AOR, will relieve Stennis CSG in CENTCOM(US Navy ) USS Frank Cable (AS-40) (Mar 22) @ Cebu, Philippines (US Navy ) USS Freedom (LCS-1) (Mar 20) @ Pacific, enter 7th Fleet AOR ...on WESTPAC Deployment (US Navy ) USS Jefferson City (SSN-759) (Mar 23) SECDEF cancels WESTPAC deployment (US Navy) USS Kauffman (FFG-59) (Mar 22) SECDEF cancels SOUTHCOM deployment (US Navy ) USS Kearsarge ARG (Mar 20) @ Atlantic, Italian AV-8B Harrier II onboard, delivering to Italy after PMI, 1st time an Italian pilot flies off US Carrier after maintenance (US Navy ) USS Providence (SSN-719) (Mar 19) @ Groton, Conn, returns from CENTCOM deployment (US Navy ) USS Reagan (CVN-76) (Mar 21) @ San Diego, completes homeport change from Bremerton, WA (Mar 18) @ Bremerton, WA, completes PIA, heading back to San Diego (US Navy ) USS Rentz (FFG-46) (Mar 23) SECDEF cancels WESTPAC deployment (US Navy) USS Stennis CSG (Mar 22) Conclude OEF air support missions, relieved by IKECSG (US Navy ) (Mar 16) DDG J. Dunham @ Suez Canal, enter 6th Fleet AOR (US Navy ) (Mar 14-17) CSG @ Jebel Ali, Dubai (US Navy ) (Mar 11-14) DDG Farragut @ Bar, Montenegro (US Navy ) USS Thach (FFG-43) (Mar 23) SOUTHCOM deployment cut short, will return in April (US Navy ) REGIONAL / OTHER – NAVAL LOGS FGS Augsburg (Frigate) (Mar 18) @ Wilhelmshaven, Germany, deploy to Indian Ocean for EU Op Atalante anti-piracy patrol (German Navy ) FGS Karlsruhe (Frigate) (Feb 9) Update: @ Salalah, Oman, Stand Down and Flight crew swap for 1+ week; @ Djibouti, Resupply; Protection Team escorts “Carolina Scan” to Kimayo, Somalia; halfway through deployment (German Navy ) ITS Cavour (Carrier) (Mar 19-22) SCTI Conference onboard, discussing use of carriers in cost-saving joint sharing strategic resources (Italy-MOD-Navy ) ITS San Marco (LHD) (Mar 14-19) @ Tanzania, joint training with Tanzanian Navy (Amphibious & Anti-Piracy) (Italy-MOD )

GROUND UNITS, CONFLICTS & OPERATIONS LOGS US Ground units logs updated per DOD reports, up to (March 17 to 23) (DOD News Releases ) France, UK, Russia, China Army logs updated per various news releases and open sources

AFRICA NONE AMERICAS NONE ASIA / MIDDLE-EAST AFGHANISTAN (Mar 16) US 3rd Infantry Division, 3rd CAB – KIA @ Kandahar (DOD ) RUSSIA (Mar 24-30) @ Karelia, Russia, AF Exercise LAGODA-2013, includes 70-aircraft and 1,000-troops (RIA Novosti ) AF fighters includes (MIG-25RB; MIG-31; SU-24M; SU-24MR; SU-27; MI-8; MI-24) SYRIA (Mar 21) Russia denies planning to move it's resupply base to Beirut (RIA Novosti ) (Mar 19) Russia accuses rebels of firing chemical armed rocket N. of Aleppo (RIA Novosti ) EUROPE KOSOVO (Mar 12) FRANCE - 1st Hunter Regiment replaces 4th Dragon Regiment (Defense Ministry )

MAPPING UPDATES

NONE

March 16th Weekly Update

SHIP LOGS & OPERATIONS Ship & Group Locations Checked & Updated (March 10 to 16)

CHINA SOUTH SEA FLEET (Mar 12) S. Sea Fleet landing ship detachment conducted amphibious assault training (Peoples Daily ) (Mar 11) S. Sea Fleet Detachment @ Guangdong Province, conducted 4-day anchorage training (Peoples Daily ) (Mar 10) S. Sea Fleet Surveillance Ship @ Xixha Islands, S. China Sea for 9-days (Peoples Daily ) 14th ESCORT TASK FORCE (INDIAN OCEAN) (Mar 10) 14th ETF @ Arabian Sea, Anti-Hijack Exercise (Peoples Daily ) (Mar 8) 14th ETF @ Arabian Sea, end Exer. PEACE-13, en-route to Gulf of Aden ...ORBAT Updated (Peoples Daily ) FRANCE FS Courbet (Frigate) (Feb 26 – Mar 5) @ Indian Ocean, escort MV Tupi Maiden from Djibouti to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (Defense Ministry ) FS Tonnerre TF (Jeanne de Arc Task Force) (Mar 8-9) @ Portsmouth, UK, conduct amphibious EX (Defense Ministry ) FS Ventose (Frigate) (Mar 1) @ Caribbean, intercept 2-drug boats (Defense Ministry ) RUSSIA RFS Severomorsk Task Force (Mar 11) @ Arabian Sea, escorting freighters Arizona and St. Paul to Red Sea (RIA Novosti ) UNITED KINGDOM HMS Argyll (Frigate) (Mar 13) @ Dakar, Senegal, participate in EX SAHARA EXPRESS 2013 (Royal Navy ) HMS Edinburgh (Destroyer) (Mar 12) @ New York City, USA, en route back to UK, will be decommissioned (Royal Navy )(Royal Navy ) HMS Illustrious (Carrier) (Mar 8) @ Glen Mallon, Scotland, onloading ammo, visit HMS Queen Elizabeth (Royal Navy ) HMS Northumberland (Frigate) (Mar 6-9) @ Arabian Sea for PEACE-13 at-sea phase (Mar 3-6) @ Karachi, Pakistan for PEACE-13 Naval Exercise HMS Portland (Frigate) (Mar 14) Rededicated after 12-month refit (Royal Navy ) HMS Queen Elizabeth (Carrier) (Mar 14) Navigation Bridge installed, Def Sec visits (Royal Navy ) (Mar 8) crew of HMS Illustrious visit, ship @ 80% complete (Royal Navy) HMS Westminster (Frigate) (Mar 13) @ London, UK (Royal Navy ) UNITED STATES USS Albany (SSN-753) (Mar 8) @ Norfolk, returns from EUCOM deployment (US Navy ) USS Albuquerque (SSN-706) (Mar 10) @ Sattahip, Thailand ...on 7th Fleet Patrol (US Navy ) USS Barry (DDG-52) (Mar 8-10) @ Souda Bay, Greece ...on 6th Fleet ABM Patrol USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) (Mar 9-10) @ Manilla, Philippines ...on 7th Fleet patrol USS Eisenhower CSG (Mar 9) @ Draguignan, France, COMREL trip to Rhone American Cemetary (US Navy ) (Mar 6-11) @ Marseille, France, COMREL trip to Esclavage Tolrance Zro (US Navy ) USS Frank Cable (AS-40) (Mar 9) @ Sattahip, Thailand ...on 7th Fleet Patrol (US Navy ) USS Freedom (LCS-1) (Mar 11) @ Pearl Harbor, US ...en-route to Guam (US Navy ) USS Kearsarge ARG (Mar 12) @ Morehead City, NC, 26th MEU embarks ships (US Navy ) (Mar 11) @ Atlantic, deployment delayed due to poor sea conditions (US Navy ) USS Laboon (DDG-58) (Mar 11) @ Norfolk, US, end deployment to 5th / 6th Fleet USS Nimitz CSG-Escorts (Mar 1) DDG's @ Straits of Hormuz ...on 5th Fleet patrol, USS Nimitz at homeport for maintenance USS Stennis CSG (Mar 8) USS Mobile Bay (CG-53), change of command (US Navy ) (Mar 8) DDG Farragut @ Suez Canal ...en-route home (US Navy ) (Mar 6) DDG Dunham @ Bahrain USS Truman CSG (Mar 9) @ Atlantic, Pilot training and drills REGIONAL / OTHER – NAVAL LOGS SPS Mendez Nunez (Frigate) – current command ship of Op. Atalante anti-piracy patrol (Mar 11) @ Gulf of Oman, escort oil tanker Smyrni after release from pirates (Armada ) (Mar 8) @ Indian Ocean near Dhurbo, Somalia, render aid to merchant ship Royal Grace (Armada ) (Feb 27) @ Gulf of Oman, boards merchant ship Al-Hasan for piracy (Armada )

GROUND UNITS, CONFLICTS & OPERATIONS LOGS US Ground units logs updated per DOD reports, up to (March 10 to 16) (DOD News Releases ) France, UK, Russia, China Army logs updated per various news releases and open sources

AFRICA NONE AMERICAS UNITED STATES (Mar 13-14) @ Washington DC, NORAD conducts Exer. FALCON VIRGO 13-06 (DOD ) USA – AFRICOM (Mar 11) @ Dakar, Senegal, SE-2013 meets with government agencies and NGO's concerning maritime issues (US Navy ) (Mar 7) @ Dakar, Senegal, EX SAHARA EXPRESS 2013 begins, International Naval Exercise ( US Navy ) USA – CENTCOM / 5th Fleet (Feb 25) MCM @ Bahrain, USS Warrior transferring to Japan; USS Pioneer transferring to San Diego ASIA / MIDDLE-EAST AFGHANISTAN (Mar 11) US 3rd Infantry Division, 1st Armor Brigade, KIA @ Jalrez District (DOD ) (Mar 11) US 3rd Special Forces, 1st Battalion, KIA @ Jalrez District (DOD ) (Mar 3) US 1st Marine Division, 7th Regiment, Patrolling @ Patrol Base Boldak CHINA (Mar 13) Nanjing Military District, U/I Armored Regiment in Live-Fire Drills (Peoples Daily ) KOREA (Mar 15) @ Sea of Japan, NK tests SRBM, USAF plans to activate more ABM missiles in Alaska (Daily Mail ) (Mar 11-21) EX KEY RESOLVE 2013, includes 10,000-SK and 3,500-US Troops (RIA Novosti ) RUSSIA (Mar 11-28) @ Krasnodar Territory, S. Russia, Russian Airborne forces anti-aircraft units participate in tactical exercises, includes MANPADS, Strela-10M, and ZU-23 (RIA Novosti ) (Mar 11) Army Preparing for ZAPAD-2013 Joint EX with Belarus in Sept, 2013 (RIA Novosti ) (Mar 11) Navy plans to add 78-new ships by 2020 (8-Borey SSBN; 16-SSN/SSK; 54-warships (FFG, Corvettes, LST)) (RIA Novosti )(Rusnavy ) (Mar 6) Russian Army creating new special operations unit similar to USSOCOM (RIA Novosti ) SYRIA (Mar 11) US personnel training Syrian rebels in Jordan in anti-tank tactics / weapons (Mar 11) UNDOF personnel evacuate patrol zone in Golan Heights, retreat into Israel (Mar 6) 21-UNDOF Troops kidnapped by Islamist group in Golan Heights (Mar 5) US & Israel establishes HQ to handle joint US / Israel / Jordan / Turkey anti-chemical weapons operations EUROPE FRANCE – IVORY COAST (Mar 2-5) @ Camp Bouet, 2-Exercises for camp defense and UNOIC Medical Evacuations (Defense Ministry ) FRANCE & UK (Mar 13) @ Le Mans, France, Exer. GAELIC VENTURE, joint exercise with UK 42 Commando & French 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment (Royal Navy ) UK – GERMANY (Mar 5) UK planning to return 15,000-troops from Germany in 2016, remaining 4,500 in 2019, and close all 7-bases (Yahoo )

MAPPING UPDATES

None

USS Freedom arrives at Pearl Harbor, HA

March 9th Weekly Update

SHIP LOGS & OPERATIONS Ship & Group Locations Checked & Updated (March 3 to 9)

CHINA 14th ESCORT TASK FORCE (INDIAN OCEAN) (Mar 4-8) @ Karachi, Pakistan, PEACE-13 International Naval EX (Peoples Daily ) (Mar 3) @ Karachi, Pakistan (Peoples Daily ) PLAN Liaoning (Carrier) (Mar 7) May conduct Blue-Water Trials and continue Flight Deck Certs this year ( Peoples Daily ) FRANCE FS Chevalier Paul (Destroyer) (Mar 2-7) GULF FALCON 2013 Joint exercise with France & Qatar (Defense Ministry ) FS Mistral (LHD) (Feb 19 – 23) @ Pointe Noire, Republic of Congo ...currently on Corymbe Deployment (Defense Ministry ) FS Surcouf (Frigate) (Mar 1) @ Toulon, FR, Indian Ocean Deployment ENDS (Defense Ministry ) FS Tonnerre TF (Jeanne de Arc Task Force) (Mar 6) @ Atlantic, Begin Jeanne De Arc Deployment, heading to Portsmouth, UK ...ORBAT updated (Defense Ministry ) RUSSIA RFS Shaposhnikov Task Force (April) DDG Shaposhnikov ETA return to Vladivostok, Russia (Apr 14-18) DDG Shaposhnikov @ Busan, SK (Mar 26-30) DDG Shaposhnikov @ Langkawi, Malaysia (Mar 4) DDG Shaposhnikov @ Gulf of Aden, end patrol, begin return home (Rusnavy )(RIA Novosti ) UNITED KINGDOM HMCS Regina (Frigate) (Mar 4) @ Hawaii, currently deployed on Pacific patrol for 8-month HMS Argyll (Frigate) (Mar 7) @ Mindelo, Cape Verde for 3-days (Royal Navy ) HMS Defender (Destroyer) (Mar 4) off UK southern coast, Gunnery Trials (Royal Navy ) HMS Iron Duke (Frigate) (Mar 6) @ Portsmouth, UK, 11-month refit ends, crew back onboard (Royal Navy ) HMS Monmouth (Frigate) (Mar 7) @ Bahrain, Chief of Joint Operations visits (Royal Navy ) (Mar 4) @ Arabian Gulf, resume patrol after 2-weeks of Maintenance in Dubai (Royal Navy ) UNITED STATES USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) (Mar 1) @ Norfolk, preparing for SOUTHCOM “Continuing Promise 2013” Deployment (US Navy ) USS Eisenhower CSG (Mar 6) @ Alicante, Spain, CG & FFG port visit (US Navy ) (Mar 5) @ Mediterranean, CSG en route USS Frank Cable (AS-40) (Mar 1-3) @ Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia USS Gary & Thach (FFG) (Mar 4) DOD says budget constraints may require them to recall USS Gary and Thach from Caribbean anti-drug patrols (US Navy ) USS Kearsarge ARG (Mar 8) @ Atlantic, Deploy to 5th and 6th Fleet AOR (US Navy ) USS Lassen (DDG-82) (Mar 5) @ Yellow Sea, FOAL EAGLE 2013 w/ South Korea USS McCampbell (DDG-85) (Mar 4) @ Yellow Sea, FOAL EAGLE 2013 w/ South Korea (US Navy ) USS Olympia (SSN-717) (Mar 4) @ Pearl Harbor, WESTPAC Deployment ENDS (US Navy ) USS Stennis CSG (Mar 4) @ Arabian Sea, VFA-41 “Black Aces” providing direct air support for OEF Coalition Forces (US Navy ) USS Truman CSG (Mar 5) @ Atlantic, Radioactive Contamination Drill USS Vinson (CVN-70) (Mar 5) @ San Diego, NAS North Island, Mass Casualty Drill REGIONAL / OTHER – NAVAL LOGS NONE

GROUND UNITS, CONFLICTS & OPERATIONS LOGS US Ground units logs updated per DOD reports, up to (March 3 to 9)(DOD News Releases ) France, UK, Russia, China Army logs updated per various news releases and open sources

AFRICA MALI (Mar 2) 1st Paratrooper Regiment – KIA @ 50km S. of Tessalit while clearing rebel caches and sanctuaries (Defense Ministry ) (Feb 28) @ Kadji Island, French and Mali forces from Gao sweep island for rebels (Defense Ministry ) (Feb 25) French Garrison from Ivory Coast returns to Base @ Port Bouet, IC (Defense Ministry ) (Feb 12-22) FS PM Le Her (Frigate) escorts supply ship MN Eider from Rota, Spain to Dakar, Senegal (Defense Ministry ) AMERICAS FRENCH GUYANA (Feb 25) @ Maripasoula, Guyana, French Transport Squadron 68 assists Guyana Army, conducts medical evacuations of 2-civilians (Defense Ministry ) USA – EUROPE (Mar 1) DOD announces changes in US Army forces in Europe, including shifting of 173rd Airborne Brigade Battalions in Germany and Italy, inactivation of V Corp, 170th Brigade, 172nd Brigade, and several minor units (DOD ) USA – WESTPAC (Mar 4) FOAL EAGLE 2013 w/ South Korea ASIA / MIDDLE-EAST CHINA (Mar 5) 2013 Defense spending boosted 10.7% (RIA Novosti ) KOREA (Mar 8) NK annuals Non-Aggression pact with SK (RIA Novosti ) (Mar 6) UN Security Council passes added sanctions on NK (BBC ) LEBANON (Mar 7) USA says Hezbollah may have acquired chemical weapons RUSSIA (Mar 5) Chief of Staff Ivanov says Russia's army needs to expand to 1 million men (RIA Novosti ) (Feb 17-21) 12th GUMO holds large nuclear drill, testing the transport and deployment of strategic and tactical weapons near Europe SYRIA (Mar 5) @ Raqqa, Syrian AF fighters bomb city (BBC ) (Mar 4) @ Akashat, Iraq, 40-Syrian soldiers ambushed and killed; @ Raqqa, rebels capture city (BBC ) EUROPE FRANCE – CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC “Operation Boali” (Mar 3) 1st Infantry Regiment relieves the 8th Marine Parachute Regiment (Defense Ministry )

MAPPING UPDATES

Africa Atlantic Indian Ocean / WESTPAC Mali Mediterranean Syria