September 7 Weekly Log Update

WEEKLY LOG UPDATE September 1 – 7

NAVAL OPERATIONS

CHINA 14th ESCORT TASK FORCE (Sept 5) @ Singapore for 6-day visit, en-route back to home port (Peoples Dily PIC ) PLAN Jinggangshan (LPD – Amphibious Assault Ship) (Sept 6) @ Red Sea; 15th ETF patrolling, possibly heading to SYRIA (Debka) PLAN Lanzhou Task Force (Sept 3) @ Sanya Harbor, China; Task force deploys to S. America, plans to visit Chile, Brazil and Argentina (Peoples Daily ) TASK FORCE: PLAN Lanzhou – DDG PLAN Liuzhou – FFG PLAN Boyanghu – OILER PLAN Peace Ark (Hospital Ship) (Sept 3) @ Thilawa Port, Myanmar; completes 6-day port visit (Peoples Daily ) PLAN Qingdao TF (Sept 9) @ Pearl Harbor, US; SAR EX with US Navy (Sept 6) @ Pearl Harbor, US; arrives for port visit (US Navy ) FRANCE FS Charles de Gaulle (Carrier) (Aug 27) @ Toulon, currently at home port, preparing to sortie out if needed for the SYRIAN CRISIS (Challenges ) FS Chevalier Paul (Destroyer) (Aug 29) @ Toulon, FR; depart for training in Mediterranean, may be responding to SYRIA CRISIS (Yahoo) FS Dixmude (LHD – Amphibious Assault Ship) (Aug 29) @ Toulon, FR; depart for training in Mediterranean, may be responding to SYRIA CRISIS (Yahoo) FS Germinal (Frigate) (Aug 27-29) @ Sao Tome & Principe; port visit to train STP Coast Guardsmen (MOD ) RUSSIA RFS Pyotr Veliky (Battle Cruiser) (Sept 3) @ Murmansk, Russia; a North Fleet Naval Task force departs for East Arctic, enter Barents Sea for exercises at Novossibirsk Islands (RIA Novosti ) TASK FORCE UNITS: RFS Pyotr Veliky (BCGN) <FLAGSHIP> RFS Kondopoga (LST) RFS O. Gornyak (LST) Unidentified Support Ships MEDITERRANEAN TASK FORCE (Sept 12-14) @ Sevastopol; DDG-Smetlivvy is deploying to MED TASK FORCE (RIA Novosti ) (Sept 5) @ Bosphorus Straits; INTEL-Priazovye, LST-Minsk & Novocherkassk transit straits en-route to Mediterranean (Defense News ) Russia advises that the Mediterranean Task Force has been boosted in case Russian citizens need to be evacuated from Syria (RIA Novosti ) (Sept 4) Russia says it's planning to rotate the ships... (RIA Novosti ) CURRENT TASK FORCE: RFS Adm. Panteleyev – DDG (Pacific) <FLAGSHIP> RFS Neustrashimmy – FFG (Black) RFS Adm. Nevelsky – LST RFS Alex. Shabalin – LST TASK FORCE UNITS ARRIVING (SEPT 5-6) RFS Minsk – LST (Black) RFS Novocherkassk – LST (Black) RFS Priazovye – INTEL (Black) (These units may replace Nuestrashimmy, Nevelsky, Shabalin) TASK FORCE UNITS ARRIVING (SEPT 17) RFS Moskva – CG (Black) (Replaces Panteleyev as FLAGSHIP) TASK FORCE UNITS ARRIVING (SEPT 29) RFS Ivanovets – Tarantul Class Guided Missile Corvette RFS Shtil – Nanuchka Class Guided Missile Corvette OPTIONAL TASK FORCE UNITS: RFS Smetlivvy – Kashin Class FFG (Black) RFS N. Filchenkov – LST (Black) (Sept 3) Russia says it has no plans to expand the Task Force (RIA Novosti ) (Sept 2) Russia is sending Black Sea Fleet reconnaissance ship SSV-201 Priazovye to Eastern Mediterranean to monitor the situation during SYRIAN CRISIS (Yahoo ) UNITED KINGDOM HMS Argyll (Frigate) (Sept 2) @ Key West, FL; port visit after seizing 6-tons of contraband in counter-drug smuggling operation (Royal Navy ) HMS Dragon (Destroyer) (Sept 6) @ Arabian Gulf, continuing patrols (Royal Navy PIC ) HMS Illustrious (Carrier) (Sept 6) @ Adriatic Sea; hosts Albanian President Nishani during Ex ALBANIAN LION (Royal Navy ) HMS Iron Duke (Frigate) (Sept 2) @ Atlantic off Hampshire; conducting sea trials and weapons test after refit (Royal Nay ) HMS Lancaster (Frigate) (Sept 3) @ Puerto Rico; port visit for maintenance and rest, at deployment halfway point (Royal Navy ) HMS Monmouth (Frigate) (Sept 12) @ London, depart (Sept 9-13) @ London, UK; Future Maritime Operations Conference (Sept 7) @ London, UK; arrive for international maritime event (Royal Navy) HMS Northumberland (Frigate) (Aug 29 – Sept 1) @ Bournemouth Air Festival with HMS Blyth and Brocklesby (MCM) (Royal Navy ) HMS Queen Elizabeth (Carrier) (Sept 2) UK MOD attempts to renegotiate the contract to produce the 2-carriers to control spending, plan to operate the first carrier in 2018, and will determine the fate of the second carrier in 2015 defense review (Defense News ) HMS Sutherland (Frigate) (Sept 15) @ London, depart (Sept 9-13) @ London, UK; Future Maritime Operations Conference (Sept 6) @ London, UK; arrive for international maritime event (Royal Navy ) HMS Westminster (Frigate) (Sept 3) @ Mediterranean; Anti-Submarine exercises with ITS F. Mimbelli (DDG) and ITS S. Pelosi (SSK?) (Royal Navy ) RFS Wave Knight (Supply Ship) (Sept 2) @ Caribbean: working alongside USCGC Forward and Tampa in counter-drug operations (Royal Navy ) UNITED STATES US CARRIER GROUPS USS Nimitz CSG (Sept 4) @ Red Sea, (US Navy PIC ) (Sept 2) @ Red Sea; CSG moves into strike position if needed in the SYRIAN CRISIS (ABC ) USS Truman CSG (Sept 4) @ Gulf of Oman, conduct replenishment at sea with USNS Arctic (T-AOE-8) (US Navy PIC ) US AMPHIBIOUS GROUPS & COMMAND SHIPS USS BH Richard ARG (Sept 5) @ Joseph Bonaparte Gulf; BHR is participating in Ex Koolendong (Sept 4) @ Solomon Sea; LSD-Germantown conducting joint force operations (US Navy PIC ) (Aug 31) @ Darwin, Australia; depart Darwin after off-loading 31st MEU, participating in Ex. Koolendong 2013 (US Navy ) USS Boxer ARG (Aug 30) @ Kaneohe; ARG conducting amphibious exercises off Hawaii (US Navy PIC ) (Aug 25-29) @ Pacific; professors from Naval Postgraduate School come aboard to train crew with their Regional Security Education Program (US Navy ) USS Kearsarge ARG (Sept 4) @ Haifa, Israel; LPD-San Antonio arrives for routine port visit (US Navy ) (Sept 3) @ Gulf of Oman; LSD-Carter Hall conducting operations (US Navy PIC ) (Sept 2) @ Mediterranean; LPD-San Antonio reportedly diverted to E. Mediterranean in response to SYRIA CRISIS, has Marine fast response team and MV-22 Ospreys on-board, may act as SAR team US WARSHIPS USS Freedom (LCS-1) (Sept 3) @ S. China Sea; conduct boarding training with Royal Malaysian Navy as part of SEACAT 2013 (US Navy ) (Sept 2) @ Singapore; get underway with USNS M. Perry (T-AKE-9), USNS Rappahannock (T-AO-204) and P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft to participate in SEACAT 2013, multinational naval exercise in South China Sea (US Navy )(US Navy ) USS Gary (FFG-51) (Aug 26-29) @ Pacific off California; embark USCG-LEDET Team-101 for training and anti-drug operations (US Navy ) USS Mahan (DDG-72) (Sept 3) @ Mediterranean on patrol (US Navy PIC ) USS Ramage (DDG-61) (Sept 3) @ Mediterranean, on 6th Fleet patrol (US Navy PIC ) USS Stout (DDG-55) (Sept 4) @ Souda Bay, Crete; port visit during 6th Fleet deployment (US Navy PIC ) USS The Sullivans (DDG-68) (Aug 18) @ Arabian Gulf; assist 3-person Saudi vessel in distress, provide medical assistance (US Navy ) USS Tucson (SSN-770) (Sept 5) @ Pearl Harbor; depart for WESTPAC Deployment (US Navy ) OTHER REGIONAL POWERS / ORGANIZATIONS ITALY ITS F. Mimbelli (Destroyer) (Sept 3) @ Mediterranean; anti-submarine exercise with HMS Westminster (FFG) (Royal Navy) SPAIN SPS Cantabria (Supply) (Sept 5) @ Coral Sea; depart for 3-week training exercise with Frigates HMAS Stuart and HMNZS Te Mana (Armada )

GROUND OPERATIONS

AFRICA NONE AMERICAS NONE ASIA / PACIFIC AFGHANISTAN (Aug 31) US 10th Mountain Division, 10th CAB – Operating @ Bagram AB (Aug 28) US 101st Airborne Division, 4th Brigade – Road repairs @ Khost Province (Aug 22) US 1st Cavalry Division, 2nd Brigade – Presence Patrols @ FOB Fenty, Nangarhar Province (Aug 21) US 101st Airborne Division, 4th Brigade – Combat Patrols @ Saberi District SYRIA (Sept 4) France plans to put military action to parliament for vote; US Senate panel approves vote for use of force (Sept 3) Israel & US conduct joint ABM intercept test in Mediterranean (Debka); (Sept 2) France releases declassified data on Syria Chemical Weapons Program, and on events surrounding attack on Aug 21 (MOD ) (Sept 1) Iranian delegation visits Damascus, propose transferring WMD's to Iran to prevent strike (Debka) (Aug 29) France admits to preparing for action in Syria, sending an LHD and DDG, and having fighter-bombers within striking distance (Yahoo ) EUROPE NONE