April 27th Weekly Update

WORLD SUPERPOWER NAVAL OPERATIONS AND UPDATES (April 21 - 27)

CHINA PLAN Liaoning (Carrier) (Apr 24) PLAN Deputy Chief of Staff says China's next carrier needs to be bigger (People's Daily ) 13th ESCORT TASK FORCE (Apr 23) 13th ETF @ Toulon, France for 5-days (People's Daily ) (Apr 19) 13th ETF @ Lisbon, Portugal, end port visit (People's Daily ) 14th ESCORT TASK FORCE (Apr 22) @ Gulf of Aden, Joint training with Italian landing ship ITS San Marco (Italian Ministry of Defense ) SOUTH FLEET (Apr 23) PLAN Surveillance ships @ Diaoyu Islands monitor Japanese ships, reinforced by five more PLAN ships (People's Daily ) (Apr 20) South Fleet DDG-TF @ Sanya, Hainan, China, end W. Pacific training (People's Daily ) FRANCE FS Latouche-Treville (Destroyer) (Apr 18-19) @ Liberia, train with Liberian Coast Guard (Defense Ministry ) FS Montcalm (Destroyer) (Apr 13-17) @ Goa, India, joint exercises with Indian Navy (Defense Ministry ) FS Tonnerre – Jeane de Arc Deployment (Apr 12) @ Indian Ocean, begin anti-piracy patrol (Defense Ministry ) RUSSIA MEDITERRANEAN TASK FORCE (Apr 22) DDG – Ad. Panteleyev Group @ Bandar Abbas, Iran (Rusnavy ) NORTH FLEET (Apr 22) BCGN – Pyotr Veliky @ Barents Sea, Anti-Submarine EX (RIA Novosti ) PACIFIC FLEET – RFS Shaposhnikov (Destroyer) (Apr 21) DDG – Shaposhnikov TF @ Vladivostok, return from Indian Ocean Piracy patrol UNITED KINGDOM HMS Argyll (Frigate) (Apr 22) @ Togo, sailors attend golfing tournament with Lome Golf Club (Royal Navy ) HMS Bulwark (LPD) (Apr 15-29) EX JOINT WARRIOR 2013 (MOD) HMS Diamond (Destroyer) (Apr 15-29) EX JOINT WARRIOR 2013 (Royal Navy ) HMS Dragon (Destroyer) (Apr 24) @ Gulf of Aden, begin anti-piracy patrol (Royal Navy ) HMS Illustrious (Carrier) (Apr 15-29) EX JOINT WARRIOR 2013 (MOD ) HMS Monmouth (Frigate) (Apr 24) @ Gulf of Aden, relieved by HMD Dragon (Royal Navy) HMS Sutherland (Frigate) (Apr 24) @ E. coast of Scotland, Fleet Commander V.Adm. Jones visits ship (Royal Navy ) (Apr 15-29) EX JOINT WARRIOR 2013 (MOD) HMS Westminster (Frigate) (Apr 15-29) EX JOINT WARRIOR 2013 (MOD ) UNITED STATES USS GHW Bush (CVN-77) (Apr 20) @ Atlantic, concludes 5-day Fleet Replacement Squadron carrier qualifications with VFA-106 (Fighters), VAW-120 (Early Warning), and VRC-40 (Logistics) (US Navy ) USS Mahan (DDG-72) (Apr 14) @ Souda Bay, Greece, COMREL project to Mouzouras Village (US Navy ) USS Momsen (DDG-92) (Apr 22) @ Everett, WA, Begin WESTPAC Deployment (US Navy ) USS Stennis CSG (Apr 21) @ Pearl Harbor, HA, en-route home from CENTCOM deployment (US Navy ) USS Wasp (LHD-1) (Apr 20) @ Pensacola NATTC, FL, Flight Deck Crash & Salvage teams complete refresher training (US Navy ) OTHER REGIONAL POWERS / ORGANIZATIONS INS Viraat (Carrier) (Apr 22) @ New Delhi, India, Def Minister Antony says Viraat can continue for another 3-years (The Hindu ) ITS San Marco (LHD) (Apr 22) @ Gulf of Aden, joint training with Chinese 14th ETF (Italian Ministry of Defense) SPAIN (Apr 16-25) @ Cartagena, Spain, Naval Exercise MINEX-13 for counter-mine warfare (Armada ) SPS Mendez Nunez (Frigate) (Apr 18) @ Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, visited by Saudi Naval delegation, President of Navatia, and Spanish ambassador to SA (Armada )

WORLD SUPERPOWER GROUND OPERATIONS AND UPDATES (April 21 - 27)

AFRICA NONE AMERICAS FRENCH GUYANA (Apr 14-18) @ Operation Gecko by 9th Marine Infantry Regiment and Guyanese police (Defense Ministry ) ASIA / PACIFIC AFGHANISTAN (Apr 23) US 10th Mountain Division, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade – KIA @ Pul-E-Alam (DOD ) (Apr 23) UK 4th Mech Brigade @ London for parade, return from Afghanistan (Royal Navy ) SYRIA (Apr 25) US says Syrian army used SARIN gas in small amounts against civilians and rebels, and is seeking UN probe (RIA Novosti ) EUROPE FRANCE (Apr 15 – May 4) @ Scotland, UK, EX JOINT WARRIOR 2013 (Defense Ministry ) FAF Atlantic II Patrol Aircraft FAF-SAG (Hawkeye, 8-Super Etendards, 7-Rafale FS Marne w/ Alouette III helo U/I SSN FRANCE – CARIBBEAN (Apr 17-26) CARIB: @ Guadeloupe, Exer CARIBBEAN 2013, bi-annual emergency relief exercise (Defense Ministry ) FRANCE – CHAD (Apr 11) CHAD: @ Airbase 172, Chad, Commander of the Franco-German Brigade visits (Defense Ministry ) (Mar 15 – Apr 3) CHAD: @ Tibesti, Chad, 3rd Hussars Regiment patrol province, provide medical assistance to population (Defense Ministry ) UK (Apr 15-29) EX JOINT WARRIOR 2013 (MOD ) 16 Regiment Royal Artillery 29 Commando Reg Royal Artillery (MOD ) 42 Commando RAF Tornado and Typhoon fighters

MAPPING UPDATES (April 7 - 13)

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