October 27 - November 2 Weekly Log Update

WEEKLY LOG UPDATE October 27 – November 2

NAVAL OPERATIONS

CHINA LANZHOU TASK FORCE (Oct 30) @ Buenos Aires, Argentina; Task Force makes port visit during S. American deployment (Peoples Daily) PLAN Liaoning (Carrier) (Oct 31) Chinese military experts say Carrier needs to undertake more rigorous training and improve CSG coordination to be effective (Peoples Daily) FRANCE FS Aconit (Stealth Frigate) (Oct 15) @ Arabian Gulf; continue Approach & Assist operations, search 3-Dhows during CTF-150 Deployment (MOD) FS C.De Gaulle (Carrier) (Oct 21) @ Mediterranean; Carrier pilot qualifications continue, nine new fighter pilots certified (MOD) RUSSIA MEDITERRANEAN TASK FORCE (Nov 2) @ E. Mediterranean; RFS Varyag (CG) arrives in Mediterranean, will assume FLAG of task force (RT) RFS Pyotr Veliky (Battle Cruiser) (Nov 2) @ Strait of Gibraltar; enter Mediterranean, anchor at Alboran Sea (RT) UNITED KINGDOM COUGAR 2013 DEPLOYMENT (Oct 30) @ Arabian Sea; HMS Illustrious & Bulwark, and RFA Mounts Bay conclude OMANI COUGAR 6-day exercise (Royal Navy) (Oct 30) @ Arabian Sea; HMS Illustrious conducts air defense exercises during OMANI COUGAR, fending off attacks by Omani AF (Royal Navy) (Oct 28) @ Muscat, Oman; HMS Bulwark visited by Head of Protocol Dept, Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Oman, and commanding officers of FS Aconit (FFG) and USS Bulkeley (DDG) (Royal Navy) HMS Daring (Destroyer) (Oct 31) @ Singapore; arrive in advance of major exercise, hosting Defense & Security Industry Day for UK companies (Royal Navy) HMS Dragon (Destroyer) (Nov 1) @ E. Mediterranean; participate in anti-sub exercises with HMS Talent (SSN) and US Navy (DDG) USS Barry, Gravely and Stout (Royal Navy) (Oct 31) @ Cyprus; 1 Military Working Dog Regiment detachment to Episkopi Garrison in Cyprus trains 4-dogs in search and protection while destroyer is in port for rest and provisions (Royal Navy) HMS Lancaster (Frigate) (Oct 19-22) @ Fort-de-France, Martinique; port visit for rest during Caribbean patrol (MOD) HMS Northumberland (Frigate) (Oct 31) @ North Sea off Scotland; participate in PASSEX with RFS Pyotr Velikiy (Battle Cruiser) while training near Shetlands Islands (Royal Navy) HMS Richmond (Frigate) (Oct 29) @ S. Atlantic; personnel from Yorkshire Regiment and 230 Squadron RAF spend 3-days onboard during harbor entry and air defense exercise (Royal Navy) HMS Sutherland (Frigate) (Oct 28) @ Plymouth; returns to home port, preparing for 11-month refit / upgrade (Royal Navy) UNITED STATES US CARRIER GROUPS USS Nimitz CSG (Oct 30) @ Naples, Italy; port visit during rare 6th Fleet patrol (US Navy) USS R. Reagan (CVN-76) (Oct 30) @ Pacific; F/A-18's of VFA-2 (CVW-2) conducting carrier qualifications at sea (US Navy PIC) USS T. Roosevelt (CVN-71) (Oct 30) @ Atlantic; VT-1 conducts flight training aboard ship during carrier qualifications (US Navy PIC) USS G. Washington CSG (Oct 31) @ Singapore; depart after 5-day port visit (US Navy) (Oct 29) @ Singapore; conduct COMREL project visit to Singapore Cheshire Home during port visit (US Navy) (Oct 29) @ Singapore; USS Antietam (CG-54) give ship tours during port visit (US Navy PIC) (Oct 29) @ Pattaya, Thailand; USS Mustin (DDG-89) crew visits Khun Boonchu Home for Autistic Children during port visit (US Navy PIC) US AMPHIBIOUS GROUPS & COMMAND SHIPS USS Bataan ARG (Oct 23) @ Atlantic; conduct 3-week ARGMEUEX, ORBAT updated (US Navy) USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) (Oct 28) @ Yokosuka, Japan; hold change of command ceremony, Capt. McCormack assumes command (US Navy) US WARSHIPS USS Ford (FFG-54) (Oct 31) @ Everett, WA; O.H. Perry Class Frigate decommissioned after 28 years of service (US Navy) USS Gravely (DDG-107) (Oct 31) @ Naples, Italy; US 6th Fleet Commander visits ship during port visit (US Navy PIC) (Oct 28) @ Central Mediterranean; render assistance to distressed persons at sea on 28 meter fishing vessel until persons transferred to ITS Nave Dattilo (CP-903) (US Navy) USS McCampbell (DDG-85) (Oct 29) @ Straits of Malacca; currently on 7th Fleet AOR patrol (US Navy PIC ) USS Ramage (DDG-61) (Oct 29) @ Mediterranean; sonar training exercise (US Navy PIC) USS Shiloh (CG-67) (Oct 31) @ Yokosuka, Japan; 7th Fleet Commander visits ship (US Navy PIC) USS Thach (FFG-43) (Nov 1) @ San Diego; O.H. Perry Class Frigate decommissioned after 29 years of service (US Navy) USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) (Oct 28) @ Bath, Maine; first of class Land Attack Destroyer launched, transitioned to pier to finish construction, planning Phase-1 delivery in 2014, only 3-ships planned for this new destroyer class (US Navy) OTHER REGIONAL POWERS / ORGANIZATIONS NATO SNMG-2 (Oct 30) @ Mediterranean near Crete; SNMG-2 joined with SNMCMG-2 for joint Air Defense exercises (ADEX) and tactical maneuverings (MISCEX) (NATO ) (Oct 29) @ Tunis, Tunisia; Frigates SPS A.d. Bazan and TCG Salihreis conduct PASSEX with Tunisian Navy patrol ship Tunis (Armada) TASK FORCE-508 “OCEAN SHIELD” (SNMG-1) (Oct 31) @ Gulf of Aden; NATO Chairman of the Military Committee and MARCOM Commander visit UPS H. Sagaidachny @ Djibouti, then helicopter to HnoMS F. Nansen to assess NATO's anti-piracy capabilities in AOR (NATO) GERMANY FGS Brandenburg (Frigate) (Oct 28) @ Atlantic off Plymouth, UK; complete 6-week GOST training, plannig to deploy to Indian Ocean OPERATION ATALANTA anti-piracy patrol next year (Bundesmarine) FGS Schleswig-Holstein (Frigate) (Oct 30) @ Kiel, Germany; SH state government cabinet holds meeting onboard, Frigate later returns to Wilmhelmshaven (Bundesmarine) INDIA (Oct 29) @ Arabian Sea; India's Western Fleet conducts major operational exercise DEFENSE OF GUJARAT off the littorals of Gujarat and Maharashtra (Indian Navy) ITALY ITS Espero (Frigate) (Oct 31) @ Catania, Italy; deliver 198-migrants rescued at sea to Italian Red Cross (Marina) NETHERLANDS HNLMS Amsterdam (Supply) (Oct 25) @ Caribbean; interdicts 1,450kg of cocaine on drug boat, ship currently on Caribbean patrol (MOD) SPAIN SPS Cantabria (Supply) (Nov 1) @ Sydney, Australia; supply ship departs Australia for return trip to Spain (MOD)

GROUND OPERATIONS

AFRICA NONE AMERICAS NONE ASIA / PACIFIC RUSSIA (Oct 31) @ Nicaragua; two Russian TU-160 Blackjack supersonic strategic bombers arrived from airbase in Venezuela, conducting training exercises for long range deployments, originally flew from Engels AFB in Volga region to Venezuela within 13-hours non-stop (RIA Novosti) EUROPE NONE