September 8-14 Weekly Log Update

WEEKLY LOG UPDATE September 8 – 14

NAVAL OPERATIONS

CHINA PLAN Jinggangshan (LPD – Amphibious Assault Ship) (Sept 11) @ Gulf of Aden; Special Troops conduct combat training (Peoples Daily ) PLAN Lanzhou Task Force (Sept 11) @ N. of Bismark Archipelago; Task Force crosses equator, en-route to Valparaiso, Chile (Peoples Daily ) (Sept 5) @ Bashi Channel, Task Force enters west Pacific (Peoples Daily) PLAN Liaoning (Carrier) (Sept 11) China's MOD states that more carriers are planned to be built domestically, at least two would be needed to maintain a carrier on standby at all times, and more are needed if heavy combat is expected (Peoples Daily ) PLAN Peace Ark (Hospital Ship) (Sept 10) @ Jakarta, Indonesia; medical tour visit (Peoples Daily ) PLAN Qingdao Task Force (Sept 11) @ Pearl Harbor, USA; Task Force departs Pearl harbor, continuing Pacific patrol (Peoples Daily ) PLAN Yiyang Training Task Force (Sept 10) @ Zhejiang; Frigates Yiyang and Changzhou return from 16-day training cruise (Peoples Daily ) PLAN Zheng He (Training) (Sept 9) Return to home port following 40-day training cruise (Peoples Daily ) FRANCE FS Dixmude (LHD – Amphibious Assault Ship) (Sept 10) @ Calvi, France; conduct mass evacuation exercise with civilians and 2nd REP (MOD ) FS Germinal (Frigate) (Sept 4-7) @ Gabon, train with french army in Gabon and Gabonese navy, welcome doctors and dignitaries on-board (MOD ) FS Somme (Supply / Command Ship) (Aug 30) @ Indian Ocean; refuel HMAS Newcastle (Frigate) (Navy ) RUSSIA MEDITERRANEAN TASK FORCE (Sept 16) @ Mediterranean; CG-Moskva relieves DDG-Adm. Panteleyev as FLAGSHIP, begins patrol near Syria (Sept 14) @ Bosporous; DDG-Smetlivy and LST-N. Filchenkov transit straits en-route to Syria (Sept 10) @ Straits of Gibraltar; CG-Moskva enters Mediterranean UNITED KINGDOM HMS Argyll (Frigate) (Sept 12) @ Devenport, UK; return from Atlantic patrol, deployment ENDS (Royal Navy ) HMS Bulwark (Assault Ship) (Sept 12) @ Suez Canal; COUGAR'13 TF Transit canal en-route for next exercise zone in Arabian Gulf (Royal Navy ) HMS Daring (Destroyer) (Sept 11) @ Pacific, testing ABM capabilities with USS Chafee (DDG) during 9-month Far East deployment (Defense News ) HMS Dragon (Destroyer) (Sept 10) @ Arabian Gulf; Air control exercise with USAF, RAF, USS Ponce (Sea Base) and Shoup (DDG) (Royal Navy ) HMS Illustrious (Carrier) (Sept 12) @ Suez Canal; COUGAR'13 TF Transit canal en-route for next exercise zone in Arabian Gulf (Royal Navy ) (Sept 9) @ Palermo, Sicily; port call for 3-days, crew climbs Mt. Etna (Royal Navy ) (Sept 6) @ Souda Bay, Crete; at port for fuel and supplies, host Hellenic Chief of Naval Operations V-Adm. Apostolakis (Royal Navy ) HMS Montrose (Frigate) (Sept 12) @ Arabian Gulf, conducting anti-piracy / drug patrol, waiting for remaining ships of COUGAR'13 TF(Royal Navy ) HMS Northumberland (Frigate) (Sept 13-16) @ Whitehill Point, UK; visiting namesake county for various local events (Royal Navy ) HMS Queen Elizabeth (Carrier) (Sept 10) First Sea Lord Adm. Sir George Zambellas states next summer's launch of carrier will signal a new national awakening (Royal Navy ) HMS Richmond (Frigate) (Sept 12) @ Georgetown, Ascension Island; short visit during Atlantic Patrol (Royal Navy ) HMS Somerset (Frigate) (Sept 13) @ River Dart, UK; celebrating HMS Britannia arrival in 1863 (Royal Navy) HMS Westminster (Frigate) (Sept 12) @ Suez Canal; COUGAR'13 TF Transit canal en-route for next exercise zone in Arabian Gulf (Royal Navy ) HMAS Ballarat (Frigate) (Sept 11) @ Sunda Strait; memorial for sinking of HMAS Perth during WWII (Navy ) HMAS Newcastle (Frigate) (Aug 30) @ Indian Ocean; refuel with FS Somme (supply) (Navy ) (Aug 18-25) @ Gulf of Aden; conduct Focused Operation SOUTHERN LOOK (Navy ) HMCS Preserver (AOR-510) (Sept 11) @ Pacific, refuel USS Rentz (FFG) during UNITAS 2013 (US Navy ) HMCS Toronto (Frigate) (Aug 27) @ Arabian Sea; USS Truman provides medical assistance to Canadian sailor (US Navy ) RFA Ft. Victoria (Supply Ship) (Sept 10) @ Gulf of Aden, assumes command of CTF-151 anti-piracy patrol in Indian Ocean (Royal Navy ) RFA Wave Knight (Supply Ship) (Sept 12) @ Caribbean; seizes 1,300kg of marijuana bales from drug boat (MOD ) UNITED STATES US CARRIER GROUPS USS Nimitz CSG (Sept 10) @ Arabian Gulf; DDG-Shoup Air control exercise with USAF, RAF, USS Ponce (Sea Base) HMS Dragon (DDG) (Royal Navy ) USS Truman CSG (Aug 27) @ Arabian Sea; provide medical assistance to Canadian sailor from HMCS Toronto (US Navy ) USS Vinson (CVN-70) (Sept 9) @ Coronado, USA; Commander in Chief of China's Peoples Liberation Army visits ship (US Navy ) US AMPHIBIOUS GROUPS & COMMAND SHIPS USS BH Richard ARG (Sept 12) @ Darwin, Australia; LPD-Denver departs port following participation in Ex Koolendong with 31st MEU (US Navy ) USS Boxer ARG (Sept 5) @ Pacific; enter 7th Fleet AOR (US Navy ) USS Ponce (AFSB(I)-15) (Sept 10) @ Arabian Gulf; Air control exercise with USAF, RAF, HMS Dragon and USS Shoup (DDG) (Royal Navy ) US WARSHIPS USS Chafee (DDG-90) (Sept 11) @ Pacific near Hawaii?; testing ABM systems with HMS Daring (DDG) (Defense News ) USS Charlotte (SSN-766) (Sept 12) @ Yokosuka, Japan; port visit for rest during WESTPAC deployment (US Navy ) USS Freedom (LCS-1) (Sept 7) @ S. China Sea; VBSS training with Brunei Navy during SEACAT 2013 (US Navy ) USS Hampton (SSN-767) (Sept 6) @ Subic Bay, Philippines; port visit during deployment to WESTPAC (US Navy ) USS Rentz (FFG-46) (Sept 11) @ Pacific, refuel with HMCS Preserver (AOR-510) during UNITAS 2013 (US Navy ) (Sept 8-15) @ Cartegena, Colombia; participate in UNITAS 2013 multilateral naval exercise with 19-central / South American navies (US Navy ) OTHER REGIONAL POWERS / ORGANIZATIONS GERMANY FGS Augsburg (Frigate) (Aug 30) @ Wilhelmshaven, Germany; Return from Indian Ocean Atalanta mission (Marine ) FGS Niedersachsen (Frigate) (Sept 12) @ Mombassa, Somalia; escort MV Rozen (WFP supply ship) (Bundeswehr ) NETHERLANDS HNLMS Johan de Witt (Assault Ship) (Sept 5) @ off Mogadishu, Somalia: Somali President visits ship meeting senior EU officials (MOD ) (Aug 27) @ off Somalia; Host EU Senior Maritime Security Course for African personnel (MOD )

GROUND OPERATIONS

AFRICA NONE AMERICAS NONE ASIA / PACIFIC AFGHANISTAN (Sept 13) UK The Rifles Regiment, 4th Battalion – complete clearance operation with Afghan 3/215 Brigade @ Gereshk (MOD ) (Sept 5) US 10th Mountain Division, 4th Brigade – Training Afghan Army Artillery units @ Kapisa Province (Sept 3) US 101st Airborne Division, 4th Brigade – Operating @ FOB Salerno (Sept 2) US 101st Airborne Division, 4th Brigade – Provide security for 1438th Eng. Co. @ Gardez Pass, Paktia Province CHINA (Sept 1-22) @ Hetian Prefecture, China; begin joint air exercise SHAHEEN 2 with Pakistan (Defense News ) RUSSIA – BELARUS (Sept 20-26) @ Belarus; ZAPAD 2013 joint military exercise begins (RIA Novosti ) RUSSIA – UKRAINE (Sept 10) Ukraine confirms Russia provided notification that its closing it's carrier pilot training center at Nitka Center AB at Crimea (RIA Novosti ) SYRIA (Sept 12) Syria agrees to join UN Chemical weapons convention and submit arms data (BBC ) (Sept 9) Russia urges Syria to transfer WMD's to UN for cataloging and destruction (BBC ) EUROPE UK (Sept 11) Royal Navy examining options to expand Type-45 (DDG) capabilities to include ABM defense (Defense News ) (Sept 11) Royal Navy unveils latest design of new Type-26 Frigate “Global Combat Ship” (Royal Navy )