February 09-15 Weekly Log Update

WEEKLY LOG UPDATE February 09 – 15

NAVAL OPERATIONS

CHINA 15th ESCORT TASK FORCE •    NO NEWS 16th ESCORT TASK FORCE •    (Feb 10) @ Mediterranean; PLAN Yancheng (Frigate) completes escort of chemical weapons from Syria for destruction (Peoples Daily) PLAN Changbaishan (LPD) ·         (Feb 11) @ Zhanjiang; Task Force stops at military port following 23-day patrol and training (Peoples Daily) FRANCE WEST AFRICA CORYMBE TASK FORCE ·         (Feb 4-8) @ Benin; FS Cmdt Birot (Frigate) visits Cotonou for operational break, and to share experience with Beninese military (MOD) FS Aquitaine & Latouche-Treville (Destroyers) ·         (Feb 10-11) @ Bay of Seine; FS Aquitaine and FS Latouche-Treville conduct tactical training at sea, including refueling at sea with FS Somme (MOD) FS Charles De Gaulle CSG/GAN ·         (Feb 8-15) @ Mediterranean; HMS Daring integrates into the French carrier battle group and escorts it from Red Sea into Mediterranean (MOD) FS Surcouf (Frigate) ·         (Feb 12) @ E. Mediterranean; FS Surcouf hosts the first deployment of a standard Panther helicopter from 36E while patrolling in Eastern Med (MOD) RUSSIA MEDITERRANEAN TASK FORCE •    (Feb 14) @ Cyprus; RFS Pyotr Veliky (Battle Cruiser) visits Cyprus, hosts tour by Defense Minister Fotiou (RIA Novosti) RFS Vladivostok (Mistral Class Amphibious Assault Ship) ·         (Feb 11) @ Uliss Bay, Vladivostok; Russia begins construction on the naval facilities needed for hosting the Mistral Class Assault Ship being built by France for Russia; the basic infrastructure will be ready by October, 2015, and the base will be ready to host the ships by 2018 (RIA Novosti) UNITED KINGDOM HMS Iron Duke (Frigate) ·         (Feb 10) @ Plymouth; frigate completes overhaul, begins 2-months of OST, preparing for operations later this year (UKRN) HMS Westminster (Frigate) ·         (Feb 11) @ UAE; HMS Westminster hands over Arabian Gulf patrol duties to HMS Somerset during port visit to Fujairah (UK-RN) UNITED STATES US CARRIER STRIKE GROUPS USS Bush CSG ·         (Feb 15) @ Norfolk; Bush Carrier Strike Group – 2 deploys to US 5th and 6th Fleet AOR (USN) USS Vinson (CVN-70) ·         (Feb 10) @ NAS North Island; USN Carrier completes TSTA/FEP maintenance period, and will move into the integrated training phase next (USN)   US AMPHIBIOUS READY GROUPS & COMMAND SHIPS USS BH Richard ARG •    (Feb 11) @ Thailand; Exercise COBRA GOLD 2014 begins, USS Denver (LPD-9) with staff from US 7th Fleet Amphibious Force lead the exercise (USN)   US WARSHIPS USS Donald Cook (DDG-75) ·         (Feb 11) @ Spain; USN Destroyer (BMD-Capable) begins Forward-Deployment at Rota NB (USN) USS Elrod (FFG-55) ·         (Feb 10) @ Tunisia; USN Frigate completes port visit at Tunis, conducts PASSEX with Tunisian Navy (USN) USS Houston (SSN-713) ·         (Feb 14) @ Pearl Harbor; USN Attack Submarine returns from WESTPAC / 7th Fleet deployment (USN) USS Rentz (FFG-46) ·         (Feb 11) @ Pacific; USN Frigate completes 3-days of JTF-B flight deck qualifications off coast of Central America (USN) USS Virginia (SSN-774) ·         (Feb 13) @ Groton; USN Attack Submarine returns from US 6th Fleet deployment (USN) OTHER REGIONAL POWERS / ORGANIZATIONS EU – OPERATION ATALANTA (CTF-465) •    (Feb 4-6) @ Djibouti; FS Siroco (LST) visits Djibouti, Admiral Bibiana visits Air Base 188 to discuss role of airpower in providing information, allowing the prediction of piracy, and aiding in the location of suspicious ships (MOD) NATO – OPERATION OCEAN SHIELD (CTF-508) (Patrolled by NATO-SNMG-2) •    (Feb 10) @ Seychelles; TCG Gelibolu (Frigate) visits Port Victoria last week, Commander Yuksel visits Seychelles Coast Guard to discuss future training opportunities (NATO) •    (Feb 7) @ Puntland; SPS Alvaro de Bazan (Frigate) visits Bandar Beyla elders and provided medical assistance to local population (NATO) NATO – SNMG-1 •    NO NEWS GERMANY ·         (Feb 11) @ Wilmhelmshaven; German Navy begins EAV-2014 major naval exercise, involves various training exercise across a broad area for 5-months and 13-port visits from Arctic to Gulf of Guinea (Bundesmarine) …units include o    FGS Augsburg (Frigate) o    FGS Bonn (Supply Ship) o    FGS Frankfurt Am Main (Supply Ship) o    FGS Hamburg (Frigate)  <FLAGSHIP> o    FGS Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Frigate) o    FGS Oldenburg (Corvette) o    FGS Spessart (Tanker) INDIA ·         (Feb 13) @ Bay of Bengal; month long major Combined Fleets Indian Naval exercise TROPEX’14 begins, led by INS Viraat (Carrier)( Indian Navy) ·         (Feb 13) India proposes long term maintenance contract with Russia’s Sevmash shipyards for 40-years of carrier maintenance for INS Vikramaditya (RIA Novosti) ·         (Feb 12-14) @ Kochi; INS Kalpeni welcomes and escorts HMAS Darwin into port, Darwin is currently en-route to western Arabian Sea to join operations with multinational forces (Indian Navy) ITALY ·         (Feb 13) @ S. Africa; ITS Cavour carrier battle group visits Cape Town, conducts “Operation Smile” medical outreach (Marina)

GROUND OPERATIONS

AFRICA NONE AMERICAS NONE ASIA / PACIFIC AFGHANISAN ·         (Feb 12) US 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), 2nd Battalion – KIA @ Kapisa Province (DOD) ·         (Feb 10) US 10th Mountain Division, HQ – KIA @ Bagram AB (DOD) ·         (Feb 10) US 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), 2nd Battalion – KIA @ Bagram AB (DOD) EUROPE NONE