November 24-30 Weekly Log Updates

WEEKLY LOG UPDATE November 24 – 30

MULTINATIONAL OPERATIONS

PHILIPPINES TYPHOON HAIYAN DISASTER “OPERATION DAMAYAN” CHINA (Nov 24) @ Philippines; Hospital Ship PLAN Peace Ark arrives, beginning medical services and providing 5.4 million Yuan worth of supplies, including 2,000 tents (Peoples Daily) UNITED KINGDOM “OPERATION PATWAN” (Nov 28) @ Philippines; HMS Illustrious deploys supplies and engineering teams to Calagnaan, Canas and Bayas Islands (Royal Navy) (Nov 26) @ Ormoc City, Philippines; HMAS Tobruk (L50) Heavy Landing Ship arrives, disembark 3rd Combat Engineer Regiment by landing craft (GOV) (Nov 25) @ Philippines; HMS Daring relieved by HMS Illustrious, en-route to Tokyo, Japan for Far East patrol (Royal Navy) (Nov 24?) @ S. China Sea; HMS Illustrious refuels with HMAS Sirius (US Navy) UNITED STATES JOINT TASK FORCE-505 (Nov 26) @ Pacific; USS Freedom (LCS-1) conducts PASSEX with Bangladeshi frigate BNS Somudro Joy (ex-USCGC Jarvis) while both ships are contributing to Typhoon Haiyan recovery efforts (US Navy) (Nov 25) @ Pearl Harbor; USNS Mercy (T-AH-19) returns to Reduced Operating Status, Adm. Harris determines ship isn't needed (US Navy) (Nov 24) @ Tacloban, Philippines; USS Freedom (LCS-1) delivers HA/DR supplies to Philippine OCD and DSWD officials (US Navy)

NAVAL OPERATIONS

CHINA PLAN Liaoning (Carrier) (Nov 29) @ Sanya; Carrier conducts first docking maneuver during cross-sea training (Peoples Daily) (Nov 28) @ Taiwan Strait; Carrier transits Taiwan Straits enroute to S. China Sea (Peoples Daily) (Nov 26) @ Qingdao; Carrier PLAN Liaoning departs for S. China Sea for scientific and training mission, including landing drills by J-15 fighters (Peoples Dailies) ... escorts include CV – PLAN Liaoning DDG – PLAN Shengyang DDG – PLAN Shijiazhuang FFG – PLAN Weifang FFG – PLAN Yantai FRANCE FS Aconit (Frigate) (Nov 28) @ Toulon; Frigate returns to homeport from Arabian Gulf / E. Mediterranean deployment (MOD) FS Charles de Gaulle CSG (Nov 29) @ Mediterranean; Carrier battle group deploys to Indian Ocean & Arabian Gulf in OP. BELLEAU WOOD for 3-months (MOD, w/ Map) ...Battlegroup includes: CVN – FS Charles de Gaulle DDG – FS Forbin DDG – FS Jean de Vienne SUP – FS Meuse FS PM L'Her (Frigate) (Nov 21) @ Atlantic; FS PM L'Her is replaced by FS Dixmude (LHD) and her escort FS Cmdt Herminier (Frigate) (MOD) FS Siroco (LSD) (Nov 29) @ Souda Bay, Crete, Greece; continue pre-deployment training, take on general staff for Atalanta Force, depart for Indian Ocean (MOD) (Nov 18) @ Toulon; depart for 5-month deployment to Indian Ocean for OP. ATALANTA anti-piracy patrol (Nov 4-7) @ Mediterranean; training for deployment FS Var (Supply Ship) (Nov 23) @ Mediterranean; trains with NATO-SNMG-2 frigates SPS A Bazan, FGS Sachsen and TCG Salihreis in boarding and seizure, Supply ship and SNMG-2 enroute to Indian Ocean (MOD) (Nov 22) @ E. Mediterranean; FS Var refuels Destroyer FS Cassard during its Operation Active Endeavor patrol, recently refueled frigate FS Aconit while en-route home from the Indian Ocean (MOD) RUSSIA RFS Kuznetsov (Carrier) (Nov 25) Russian Navy has taken delivery of first four new MIG-29K/KUB carrier-based fighters. MIG will deliver 20-K's and 4-KUB's (2-Seat Trainers) to the Navy by 2015 for operations on the RFS Kuznetsov. The currently deployed SU-33 naval fighters can only employ AA weaponry. The new MIGs will be capable of AA and AS missions, and can refuel other aircraft using the PAZ-1MK pod (RIA Novosti) UNITED KINGDOM COUGAR 2013 TASK FORCE (Nov 28) @ Tripoli, Libya; HMS Bulwark concludes port visit, supported a visit by UK Minister for Armed Forces and hosted UK Trade & Industry event (UK-GOV) HMS Defender (Destroyer) (Nov 29) @ Glasgow; destroyer will visit King George V Dock near Braehead for tours and a special reception (Royal Navy) HMS Montrose (Frigate) (Nov 26) @ Kuwait City; members of 43 Commando Royal Marines Detachment from HMS Montrose participate in 50km charity run around Kuwait City (Royal Navy) HMS Northumberland (Frigate) (Nov 29) @ Liverpool; Frigate arrives for short visit, Sea Cadets visit ship (Royal Navy) HMS Queen Elizabeth (Carrier) (Nov 28) Ships main radar installed on carriers forward island, uses same radar system as installed on Type-45 Air-Defense Destroyers (Royal Navy) HMAS Melbourne (Frigate) (Nov 30) @ Indian Ocean off Somalia; encounter MV Albedo sunk in 20m of water by pirates 3-years ago (GOV) RFA Argus (Hospital Ship) (Nov 29) @ Atlantic S. Coast Training Area; participates in EX SABRE DAWN, a medical response exercise, after completing extensive refit, in preparation for high readiness to deploy on worldwide operations (Royal Navy) UNITED STATES US CARRIER GROUPS USS G. Washington CSG (Nov 25) @ Philippine Sea; CSG participates in ANNUALEX 2013 with Japanese JMSDF (US Navy)(PIC) ...units include CVN – USS George Washington CG – USS Antietam DDG – Curtis Wilbur DDG – USS Lassen DDG – USS McCampbell DDG – USS Mustin SSN – Unidentified USN Sub Maritime Patrol / Recon Aircraft USS R. Reagan CSG (Nov 18) @ Pacific; Strike group completed IDCERTEX off California, includes shipboard exercises, group integration, flight operations, submarine tracking replenishment and transit formations (US Navy) ...ORBAT Updated CVN – USS Ronald Reagan CG – USS Lake Champlain DDG – USS Howard (Independent Deployment) DDG – USS Kidd DDG – USS Momsen DDG – USS Pickney DDG – USS Wayne E. Mayer FFG – USS Gary US AMPHIBIOUS GROUPS & COMMAND SHIPS USS Boxer ARG (Nov 27) @ Arabian Gulf; CNO Adm. Greenert visits USS Boxer during 5th Fleet patrol (PIC) US WARSHIPS USS Dallas (SSN-700) (Nov 25) @ Groton, Conn; Attack Sub returns to homeport following deployment to 6th Fleet / EUCOM AOR, will be decommissioned after 30-years of service (US Navy) USS Dewert (Frigate) (Nov 26) @ Indian Ocean; TF-508 Commander visits ship, wishes them safe trip home, will be concluding anti-piracy patrol next week (Dec 3) (NATO) USS Freedom (LCS-1) (Nov 29) @ Guam; ship visits Santa Rita for rest and reset during return trip to homeport (US Navy) USS Monterrey (CG-61) (Nov 21) @ Limassol, Cyprus; port visit for rest and maintenance (US Navy) USS Nitze (DDG-94) (Nov 29) @ Norfolk; deploys to 6th Fleet AOR for 7-months in Mediterranean and off Africa (US Navy) USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) (Nov 21) @ Bath, Maine; US DEFSEC Hagel visits USS Zumwalt (Pre-Commissioned) during outfitting (US Navy) OTHER REGIONAL POWERS / ORGANIZATIONS NATO SNMG-2 (Nov 27) @ Haifa, Israel; SNMG-2 led frigates SPS Ad Bazan and FGS Sachsen arrive for port visit, conduct PASSEX with Israeli ships (NATO) (Nov 13) @ Mediterranean; Ukrainian Corvette Ternopil (U209) concluded it's support for SNMG-2, returns to homeport (NATO) INDIA INS Vikramaditya (Carrier) (Nov 26) @ Severomorsk; departs for maiden voyage to India, will refuel in White Sea, then stop @ Murmansk for supplies (RIA Novosti) ITALY ITS Cavour CSG (Nov 26) @ Indian Ocean off Oman; CSG supply ship ITS Etna rendezvous and resupplies frigate ITS Libeccio (Marina) ITS Grecale (Frigate) (Nov 28) @ Mediterranean; Frigates Grecale and Sirocco rescue 210 migrants from inflatable boats traveling to Lampedusa Island, with assistance of the Italian Coast Guard and helicopter from ITS San Marco (LHD) (Marina) SPAIN SPS Cantabria (Supply Ship) (Nov 28) @ Goa, India; ship departs from India after port visit, Spanish Ambassador and local authorities visit ship, previous port call was in Jakarta, Indonesia, will next make port at Aksaz, Turkey before returning home (Dec 21) (Armada)

GROUND OPERATIONS

AFRICA NONE AMERICAS NONE ASIA / PACIFIC CHINA (Nov 23) @ E. China Sea; PLA-AF fighters conducted first ADIZ patrol since declaring air control over sea areas currently controlled by S. Korea and Japan. Japan and SK protest the unilateral move, citing it's not needed and could conflict with current ADIZ patrols and protocols (Peoples Daily) RUSSIA (Nov 27) Russia plans to add 22-Topol-M or YARS ICBMs to strategic arsenal in 2014. Russia plans to expand the annual budget on by 50% for nuclear weapons in the next 3-years (RIA Novosti) EUROPE NONE