June 29th Weekly Update

WORLD SUPERPOWER NAVAL OPERATIONS AND UPDATES (June 9 – 29)

CHINA 14th ESCORT TASK FORCE (Jun 9) @ Djibouti for refueling (Peoples Daily PIC ) PLAN Haixun-01 (Search & Rescue) (Jun 22) @ Sydney, Australia (Peoples Daily ) PLAN Liaoning (Carrier) (Jun 19) @ Sea, conducting take-off and landing exercises with J-15 fighters (Peoples Daily ) (Jun 9) set sail for sea trials PLAN “Peace Ark” (Hospital Ship) (JUNE) @ Maldives, NEXT VISIT (Jun 21) @ Brunei, left port after 6-day humanitarian / medical visit (Peoples Daily ) FRANCE GABIAN 2013 (Jun 10-14) @ Mediterranean; large French naval tactical exercise with Toulon based ships, participates include.. (Defense ) LHD – FS Dixmude LHD – FS Mistral LPD – FS Siroco DDG – FS Chevalier Paul (Tactical Commander) FFG – FS Aconite FFG – FS Surcouf MCM – FS Capricorn MCM – FS Orion SUP – Var FS Chevalier Paul (Destroyer) (Jun 21) @ Mediterranean, Air Defense Commander tests prototype tactical “touch table” (Defense ) FS Cmdt Bouan (Frigate) (Jun 23-27) @ Mediterranean off Libya; participate in SHAHIN 2013 with Libyan Navy (Defense ) FS Guepratte (Frigate) (Jun 19) @ Seychelles; visited by Commander in Chief of Indian Ocean Southern Zone (Defense ) FS Latouche-Treville (Destroyer) (Jun 22) @ Ivory Coast, MEDEVAC training with IC Army (Defense ) FS Nivose (Frigate) (Jun 14) Indian Ocean Anti-Piracy patrol ENDS (Defense ) (Feb 10-19) @ Crozet Island; intercepts Korean long-liner Chung Yong fishing illegally in French ZEE, discover medical situation, render assistance and seize equipment and cargo (Defense ) FS Tonnerre ARG (Jun 18-21) @ Vietnam (Defense ) (Jun 12) @ Straits of Malacca, heading into S. China Sea (Defense ) RUSSIA BLACK SEA FLEET (Jun 19-25) FAIRWAY OF PEACE 2013 bilateral exercises with Ukraine (RIA Novosti ) MEDITERRANEAN TASK FORCE (Jun 19) @ Limassol, Cyprus; 3-ships visit, Russia negotiating for new Med. Base at Cyprus (DW ) RFS Sevastopol (LHD) (Jun 25) second Mistral-Class LHD should be complete in October 2014 (Rusnavy ) RFS Vladivostok (LHD) (Jun 26) @ St. Petersburg, Russia: Russian shipyard completes stern section, plans to ship to France on July 8, arriving on July 25, and complete construction by Oct 15 (RIA Novosti ) UNITED KINGDOM HMS Defender (Destroyer) (Jun 25) @ Atlantic, Aviation training with Merlin helicopters from NAS 820 and 829 (Royal Navy ) (Jun 21) @ Atlantic, Families and Friends Day (Royal Navy ) HMS Dragon (Destroyer) (Jun 10) @ Straits of Hormuz, escorting gas tanker into Arabian Gulf HMS Illustrious (Carrier) (May 20-Jun 13) @ Plymouth, FOST Training, will complete OST package in next few days, preparing to deploy in August for Exercise COUGAR 13 (Royal Navy ) HMS Iron Duke (Frigate) (Jun 25) @ Portsmouth, returns to sea after 18-month upgrade, fitted with new ARTISAN 3D RADAR system and improved ventilation system for hot climates (Royal Navy ) HMS Lancaster (Frigate) (Jun 25) @ Grand Cayman Island (Royal Navy ) (Jun 17-20) @ Key West, FL, USA (Royal Navy ) HMS Queen Elizabeth (Carrier) (Jun 28) Aft Island installed (Royal Navy ) HMS Richmond (Frigate) (Jun 26) @ London for 5-day visit (Royal Navy ) HMS Somerset (Frigate) (Jun 10) @ Isle of Scilly for BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC commemorations (Royal Navy ) UNITED STATES US CARRIER GROUPS USS Eisenhower CSG (Jun 28) @ Wilhelmshaven, Germany; FFG – FGS Hamburg returns to homeport, disbands from CSG, deployment ENDS (Bundeswehr ) (Jun 18) @ Palma De Mallorca, Spain; CG – Hue City visits (US Navy ) USS Nimitz CSG (Jun 26) @ Gulf of Oman: Chief of Navy Chaplains visits ship (US Navy ) USS Stennis (CVN-74) (Jun 27) @ Bremerton, WA; enter drydock for PIA Maintenance (US Navy PIC ) USS Washington CSG (Jun 26) @ Pacific; Begin WESTPAC patrol (US Navy )(US Navy VID ) (Jun 23) @ Pacific; complete sea trials (US Navy ) US COMMAND SHIPS USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) (Jun 24) @ Dili, Timor-Leste (US Navy ) (Jun 18-24) @ Jakarta, depart for Dili, Timor-Leste, hosted Indonesian and TL sailors (US Navy ) USS Mt. Whitney (LCC-20) (Jun 22) @ Kiel, Germany; BALTOPS 2013 concludes (US Navy )(US Navy VID ) US AMPHIBIOUS GROUPS USS BH Richard ARG (Jun 27 – July 2) @ Manila, Philippines LSD-Tortuga participating in CARAT 2013 phase (Peoples Daily ) (Jun 22) @ Kuantan, Malaysia; LSD-Tortuga conclude CARAT Malaysian Phase (US Navy ) (Jun 25) @ Okinawa; embark 31st MEU (US Navy ) (Jun 18) @ Pacific off Japan; LSD-Germantown complete AMW certification (US Navy ) (Jun 13) @ Sasebo, Japan; ARG deploys for WESTPAC Patrol (US Navy ) USS Kearsarge ARG (Jun 14) @ Aqaba, Jordan; Ex EAGER LION 2013 begins (US Navy VID ) USS Pearl Harbor (LSD-52) (Jun 25) @ New Caledonia for Pacific Partnership humanitarian visit (US Navy ) USS Wasp (LHD-1) (Jun 24-27) @ Sea; complete ATG Atlantic Aviation Cert (AVCERT) 1.4 Bravo, preparing for F-35 JSF testing Ph-II this summer (US Navy ) US WARSHIPS USS Antietam (CG-54) (Jun 28) @ Ogasawara Sea; live fire exercise during 7th fleet patrol (US Navy PIC ) USS Chosin (CG-65) (Jun 13) @ Olongapo City, Philippines USS Chung-Hoon (DDG-93) (Jun 23) @ Pacific; Participating in PACIFIC BOND 2013, crew swap with Australian frigate HMAS Sydney (FFG-03) (US Navy ) USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG-54) (Jun 22) @ Kuantan, Malaysia; conclude CARAT Malaysian Phase (US Navy ) USS Freedom (LCS-1) (Jun 22) @ Kuantan, Malaysia; conclude CARAT Malaysian Phase (US Navy ) USS Gravely (DDG-107) (Jun 23) @ Mediterranean; Damage Control Olympics while on 6th Fleet patrol (US Navy ) USS Hampton (SSN-767) (Jun 18) @ Point Loma, CA; deploy for WESTPAC patrol (US Navy ) USS Jacksonville (SSN-699) (Jun 18) @ Pearl Harbor, conclude WESTPAC patrol (US Navy ) USS Nicholas (FFG-47) (Jun 25) @ Brest, France; participating in FRUKUS 2013 (US Navy ) USS Paul Hamilton (DDG-60) (Jun 24) @ Pearl Harbor; returns from WESTPAC patrol (US Navy ) OTHER REGIONAL POWERS / ORGANIZATIONS INS Ranvijay TF (Jun 12-16) Ranvijay TF @ Manilla, Philippines for 5-day goodwill visit (Global Nation ) ITS Aliseo (FFG) (Jun 21) @ Taranto, Italy; Frigate joins SNMG-2 “Active Endeavor” patrol until October, 2013 (Marina Militare ) SPS Blaz de Lezo (FFG) (Jun 15) @ Aksaz, Turkey; Join SNMG-2 as FLAGSHIP until October, 2013 (Jun ?) @ Souda Bay, Greece (Jun 7) @ Rota, Spain; Embark Rear-Adm. Eugenio Diaz del Rio, new SNMG-2 commander for 1-year term (Armada ) (Jun 5) @ Ferrol, Spain; head for Aksaz, Turkey (Armada ) SPS Juan Carlos I (LHD) (July 9) @ Lisbon, Portugal, disembark students, return to Rota Naval Base (Jun 24-26) MAR-32 Exercise and units from 41st Escort Squadron (Jun 17-21) MARFIBEX amphibious training exercise (Jun ?) MAR-31 Exercise with F-100 FFG's from 31st Escort Squadron (Jun 6) @ Rota, Spain; set sail, arrive at Pontevedra Estuary, embark 100 Naval Academy Students (Armada ) SPS Numancia (FFG) (Jun 10) @ Indian Ocean; assist MT Perla, was adrift with injured crewmen due to engine fire (Armada )

WORLD SUPERPOWER GROUND OPERATIONS AND UPDATES (June 9 – 29)

AFRICA EGYPT (Jun 29) Clashes in N. Egypt, 2-killed, offices of Muslim Brotherhood burned down (RIA Novosti ) AMERICAS USA (Jun 25) @ Pentagon, Army announces force structure changes (DOD ) -Reduce Infantry & Armor Brigades from 45 to 33 -Reorganize remaining Brigades to restore the third maneuver battalion and increase engineer and fires support -Continue growth in Aviation, Special Ops, Missile Defense and Cyber Ops -Manpower reduced by 80,000, resultant end-strength is 490,000 soldiers. (Jun 18-19) @ Washington, DC, NORAD interception exercise FALCON VIRGO 13-09 (DOD ) USA – CENTCOM (Jun 20) @ Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyz Parliament voted to ask US Troops to withdraw from Manas airport by July, 2014 (Peoples Daily ) (Jun 15) @ Jordan, Pentagon approves Jordan's request for USAF F-16's and Patriot ABM missiles remain in Jordan after EAGER LION 2013 ends (DOD ) USA – EUCOM (Jun 3-14) @ Estonia / Latvia / Lithuania, NATO Exercise SABRE STRIKE 2013, Brigade level command post EX (RIA Novosti ) ASIA / PACIFIC AFGHANISTAN (Jun 23) US 10th Mountain Division, 2nd Brigade – KIA @ Sar Rowzah (DOD ) (Jun 23) US 101st Air Assault Division, 4th Brigade – KIA @ Zormat (DOD ) (Jun 18) US 4th Infantry Division, 43rd Sustainment Brigade – 4-KIA @ Bagram (DOD ) (Jun 16) US 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Regiment – KIA @ Helmand Province (DOD ) (Jun 8) US 10th Mountain Division, 2nd Brigade – KIA @ Zarghun Shahr (DOD ) CHINA (Jun 20) @ Beijing, China; Chinese and Russian special forces conclude 10-day joint training exercise COOPERATION 2013. Training included shooting, forced entry, hostage rescue and terror camp raids (Peoples Daily ) LEBANON (May 31) @ Cadiz, Spain; Spanish Marine Corps Expeditionary Force (FIMEX LH-XVIII) end UNIFIL mission (Armada ) RUSSIA – ARMENIA (Jun 27) @ Yerevan, Armenia: Russia plans to upgrade and modernize it's bases in Armenia, including Military Base 102 at Gyumri, and it's Airbase at Yerevan's Erebuni Airport. The Gyumri base is home to S-300 ABM missiles and MIG-29 fighters (RIA Novosti ) RUSSIA – BELARUS (Jun 26) @ Lida, Belarus: Russia plans to open it's first airbase on Belarussian soil in a few months, and plans to base SU-27SM3 fighters there (RIA Novosti ) SYRIA (Jun 29) @ Homs, Syria; Syrian Army / AF launches major offensive to secure link to Mediterranean after rebels capture Deraa on border with Jordan (Yahoo ) (Jun 27) @ Tartus, Syria, Russia says no military personnel are currently manning it's resupply facility (RIA Novosti ) EUROPE NONE

MAPPING UPDATES (June 9 – 29)

NONE