May 18th Weekly Update

WORLD SUPERPOWER NAVAL OPERATIONS AND UPDATES (May 12 – 18)

CHINA PLAN Jiangmen (Frigate) (May 16) @ Nansha Islands, Live-Fire training exercise (Peoples Daily PIC ) DIAOYU SURVEILLANCE TASK FORCE (May 13) @ Diaoyu Islands, Task Force continues patrol (Peoples Daily ) FRANCE FS Aquitaine (FREMM Class Frigate) (May 9) @ Brest, France, returns from 4-month Atlantic training patrol (Defense Ministry ) FS Latouche-Treville (Destroyer) (May 7-13) @ Cape Verde, training and PASSEX with CV Coast Guard (Defense Ministry ) FS Nivose (Patrol Frigate) (May 1-10) Escorts World Food Program ship Yakima Princess from Djibouti to Mombasa, Kenya (Defense Ministry ) FS Somme (Support / Command Ship) (May 13-14) @ Gulf of Aden, patrol and train with Yemeni Naval vessel (Defense Ministry ) (Apr 14) BEGIN NATO CTF-150 INDIAN OCEAN PATROL FS Tonnerre (Amphibious Assault Ship) (May 14) @ Indian Ocean, END NATO CTF-150 Patrol, continues Jeanne de Arc Tour (Defense Ministry ) RUSSIA BALTIC FLEET (May 16) @ Kaliningrad, Russia commissions new Project 20380 Boiky Stealth Corvette, optimized for Anti-Sub, Surface, and Land Ops; weapons include KH-35 Anti-Ship Missiles, 3M-54 KLUB Cruise Missiles, Kashtan AA gun/missile system, 100mm gun, 2-30mm CIWS, Torpedos, and Kamov KA-27 Anti-Sub Helo (RIA Novosti ) MEDITERRANEAN TASK FORCE (May 16) Pacific Fleet Ships @ Mediterranean, en route to Limassol, Cyprus (RIA Novosti ) (May 13) Pacific Fleet Ships @ Red Sea, heading to Mediterranean (RIA Novosti ) (May 12) Russia says Task Force may be expanded to include nuclear submarines (RIA Novosti ) UNITED KINGDOM HMS Bulwark (LPD) (May 24-28) @ Liverpool, UK for the Battle of the Atlantic 70th Anniversary (Royal Navy ) HMS Daring (Destroyer) (May 27) @ Portsmouth, UK, begin Far East deployment (Royal Navy ) HMS Defender (Destroyer) (May 16) @ Portsmouth, UK, Preparing for upcoming BOST training; participating in “The Road to Twinkenham” charity event (Royal Navy ) HMS Dragon (Destroyer) (May 16) @ Bahrain, participating in IMCMEX 2013 with HMS Atherstone, Quorn, Ramsey, Shoreham (MCM) and RFA Cardigan Bay (SUP) (Royal Navy ) HMS Monmouth (Frigate) (May 13) @ Plymouth, returns from 7-month deployment (Royal Navy ) UNITED STATES USS GHW Bush (CVN-77) (May 17) @ Atlantic, X-47B conducts Touch & Go tests (US Navy ) (May 14) @ Atlantic, test launches X-47B UCAS-D, V. Adm. Buss calls “watershed moment” in naval aviation (US Navy ) USS Eisenhower CSG (May 17) @ 5th Fleet AOR, training UK sailors in Large-Deck Ops, in preparation for the launching of HMS Queen Elizabeth (US Navy ) USS Ford (FFG-54) (May 14) @ Everett, WA, Frigate returns home after completing exercise TRIDENT FURY 2013 with Royal Canadian Navy (US Navy ) USS Freedom (LCS-1) (May 14) @ Singapore, CNO Adm. Greenert visits ship (US Navy ) USS Kearsarge ARG (May 14) @ Eilat, Israel (US Navy ) (May 14) LPD-San Antonio @ Bahrain, participating in IMCMEX-13 (US Navy ) USS Lassen (DDG-82) (May 9) @ Vladivostok, Russia, crew joins Victory Day events and parade (US Navy ) USS Nimitz CSG (May 11) @ Busan, S. Korea, ship hosts reception for local dignitaries (US Navy ) USS Pearl Harbor (LSD-52) (May 14) @ San Diego, depart for WESTPAC “Pacific Partnership 2013” Deployment as the Command Platform, planning to exercise with Australia, Canada, France, Japan and New Zealand (US Navy ) USS Peleliu ARG (May 14) @ San Diego, WESTPAC / CENTCOM deployment ends (US Navy ) (May 6) @ Pearl Harbor, depart for San Diego on Family Tiger Cruise (US Navy ) USS Ponce (AFSB(I)-15) (May 6-30) @ Bahrain, IMCMEX-13 Command Ship, international mine countermeasures exercise with 30-nations participating (US Navy ) OTHER REGIONAL POWERS / ORGANIZATIONS INS Vikramaditya (Indian Carrier) (May 15) @ Arkhangelsk, Russia, ship in dry dock for repairs before final sea trials in July to September, plan to deliver to India in December (RIA Novosti )

WORLD SUPERPOWER GROUND OPERATIONS AND UPDATES (May 12 – 18)

AFRICA MALI (May 11) @ Gao, French 6th Light Armored Brigade replaces 3rd Mechanized Brigade (Defense Ministry ) AMERICAS NONE ASIA / PACIFIC AFGHANISTAN (May 14) US 1st Armored Division, 1st Brigade – KIA @ Sanjaray (DOD ) KOREA (May 18) N. Korea launches short range missiles into Sea of Japan, may have been anti-ship missiles or KN-02 Surface to surface missiles (RIA Novosti ) RUSSIA (May 17) Russia is developing “Killer-Robots” for anti-terror and evacuation ops (RIA Novosti ) (May 11) Russia says the re-arming of it's paratrooper units should be completed in the next 3-5 years; APV's are currently being tested with the aim of being able to drop three vehicles from one aircraft (RIA Novosti ) SYRIA (May 16) Syria appears to be breaking apart ...Islamist militias control North, Pro-Gov forces control center and are pushing to control coastlands, and Kurds control NE Syria (NY Times ) ...something I'm watching for, the re-establishment of Assyria / Kurdistan in Syria and Iraq, but not Turkey. (May 15) @ Aleppo, rebels launch assault on government prison, Army responds with tanks and air raids (BBC ) EUROPE NONE

MAPPING UPDATES (May 12 - 18)

NONE