February 16-22 Weekly News and Log Update

WEEKLY NEWS & LOG UPDATE February 16 – 22

NAVAL-MARINE OPERATIONS

CHINA 15th ESCORT TASK FORCE •    NO NEWS 16th ESCORT TASK FORCE •    NO NEWS PLAN Changbaishan (LPD) ·         (Feb 19) Changbaishan battle group completes the PLAN’s first blue-water training mission of 2014, including the transit of several rarely encountered straits by PLAN ships (People's Daily) FRANCE WEST AFRICA CORYMBE TASK FORCE ·         NO NEWS FS Aquitaine (Destroyer) ·         (Feb 20) French anti-sub Destroyer continues sea trials, obtains operational capability status in AS warfare (MOD) FS Charles De Gaulle CSG/GAN ·         (Feb 18) @ Toulon; French Carrier returns to homeport, resumes alert dockside status (MOD) ·         (Feb 15) @ Toulon; French Carrier Battle Group returning to homeport, French Chief of Staff visits ship and crew, congratulating them for a successful deployment (MOD) FS Primaguet (Destroyer) ·         (Feb 3-13) @ Norway; French Destroyer participates in NATO anti-submarine exercise in Norwegian fjords (MOD) FS Vendemiaire (Frigate) ·         (Feb 17 – Mar 7) @ New Zealand; French Frigate arrives at Auckland, NZ; participating in New Zealand’s MCMEX-14 with 13-nations (MOD) RUSSIA MEDITERRANEAN TASK FORCE •    (Feb 20) Russia plans to strengthen task force with new stealth subs (Project-636 Varshavyanka Class, diesel-electric) following their delivery to the Black Sea Fleet in 2015 (RIA Novosti)   UNITED KINGDOM HMS Montrose (Frigate) ·         (Feb 18) @ Mediterranean; UK Frigate completes escort of Syrian chemical weapons with Danish combat support ship HDMS Ebsern Snare (Royal Navy) HMS Portland (Frigate) ·         (Feb 18) @ Cape Verde; UK Frigate conducts anti-narcotic joint training with Cape Verde Coast Guard (Royal Navy) HMS Queen Elizabeth (Carrier) ·         (Feb 22) Her Majesty the Queen will name and christen the new carrier on July 4th, 2014; Sea Trials are planned for 2017 and flight trials are planned for 2018 (GOV) HMS Richmond (Frigate) ·         (Feb 21) @ Portsmouth; UK Frigate returns home following successful 7-month Atlantic patrol (Royal Navy) HMAS Melbourne (Australian Frigate) ·         (Feb 23) @ Oman; JTF-633 Commander visits Australian frigate while taking on supplies at Muscat, congratulates crew for successful patrol, frigate plans to arrive at homeport in mid-March (GOV) UNITED STATES US CARRIER STRIKE GROUPS ·          NO NEWS   US AMPHIBIOUS READY GROUPS & COMMAND SHIPS USS Bataan ARG ·         (Feb 16) @ Atlantic; Bataan-ARG enters 6th Fleet AOR, is en-route to Indian Ocean (USN) USS BH Richard ARG •    (Feb 19) @ S. China Sea; USS Denver conducts survivability exercise (TSSE) (USN) •    (Feb 17) @ Sasebo; USS BH Richard deploys for WESTPAC patrol, will join USS Denver and Ashland at later date (USN) •    (Feb 16) @ Gulf of Thailand; USS Denver (LPD-9) completes COBRA GOLD 2014 exercises hosted in Thailand (USN) USS Makin Island (LHD-8) ·         (Feb 14) @ San Diego; USN Assault Ship completes ammo on-load, preparing for upcoming deployment (USN) USS San Diego (LPD-22) ·         (Feb 18) @ San Diego; USN Amphibious Transport Dock Ship departs to participate in Underway Recovery Test in support of NASA’s Orion program (USN)   US WARSHIPS USS Columbus (SSN-762) ·         (Feb 19) @ Pearl Harbor; USN Attack Sub deploys to 7th Fleet AOR / WESTPAC (USN) USS Greenville (SSN-772) ·         (Feb 15) @ Pearl Harbor; USN Attack Sub deploys to 7th Fleet AOR / WESTPAC (USN) USS Kidd (DDG-100) ·         (Feb 15) @ Australia; USN Destroyer arrives in Darwin for port visit (USN) USS Spruance (DDG-111) ·         (Feb 14) @ Brunei; USN Destroyer visits Muara during its maiden deployment to the Pacific (USN) USS Taylor (FFG-50) ·         (Feb 12) @ Turkey; USN Frigate runs aground while preparing to moor at Samsun on the Black Sea. Frigate is being inspected for damage. Frigate is currently assigned to provide security at the Sochi Olympics as part of its 6th Fleet deployment duties (USN) OTHER REGIONAL POWERS / ORGANIZATIONS EU – OPERATION ATALANTA (CTF-465) •    (Feb 18) @ Mauritania; FS Siroco (French LST) concludes 2-weeks of training of 16-Mauritanian Coast Guardsmen (MOD) •    (Feb 17) @ Indian Ocean; FGS Hessen (German Frigate) transfers injured fisherman from FS Siroco (French LST) onboard for medical attention in the Frigates hospital, and transfers the patient to Oman (Bundesmarine) •    (Feb 13) @ Indian Ocean; FS Siroco (French LST) performs medical evacuation of fisherman from Korean trawler off coast of Somalia (MOD) NATO – OPERATION OCEAN SHIELD (CTF-508) (Patrolled by NATO-SNMG-2) •    (Feb 21) @ Gulf of aden; HNLMS Evertsen (Netherlands Frigate) rescued 8-Yemeni seamen 50-miles north of Qandala, Somalia (NATO) •    (Feb 21) HMNZS Te Mana (New Zealand Frigate) concludes NATO patrol (NATO) NATO – SNMG-1 •    NO NEWS GERMANY ·         (Feb 20) @ North Sea; EAV-14 and SNMG-1 ships gather for joint NATO anti-sub exercise “DYNAMIC MONGOOSE”, commander of SNMG-1 visits EAV-14 command ship FGS Hamburg (Frigate) and integrates all 5-german ships for exercise (Bundesmarine)

AIR-GROUND OPERATIONS

AFRICA NONE AMERICAS NONE ASIA / PACIFIC CHINA ·         (Feb 19) @ Chengdu MAC; PLA-AF Brigade conducted a simulated battlefield environment training exercise to improve combat effectiveness of AF ground units (Peoples Daily) ·         (Feb 15-16) PLA 13th Army Group holds comprehensive combat skills exercises (People's Daily) RUSSIA ·         (Feb 21) @ Astrakhan; Russian AF receives new prototype stealth fighter Sukhoi T-50 “PAK-FA” for testing “ (RIA Novosti) ·         (Feb 21) Russian Army will adopt the new Ratnik / AK-12 “Future Soldier” gear this summer; the gear is currently in it’s final stages of testing by Russian paratroopers (RIA Novosti) EUROPE FRANCE (in CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC) ·         (Feb 18-19) @ Gamboula; 2-French Army Mechanized platoons patrol border near Cameroon, near Gamboula, ensuring freedom of travel by the civilians from rebels and bandits, no obstacles encountered during 36-hour patrol; currently 600-French soldiers and 6,000-MISCA are in-country (MOD) FRANCE (in CHAD) ·         (Feb 14-15) @ N’Djamena; French Army 12th Regiment relieves 126th Infantry Regiment, assumes command of Army Force Epervier (MOD) FRANCE (in IVORY COAST) ·         (Feb 21) French Army 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment relieves 1st Marine Infantry Regiment, assumes command of Operation Licorn for 4-months (MOD) UKRAINE ·         (Feb 22) Ukrainian President flees capital as protesters seize government buildings; Parliament assumes it’s restored powers, fires Interior Minister, frees reform politician Tymoshenko, fires the President, and declares early elections; politicians in eastern Ukraine declare the measures are illegal, and declare it a coup (Slate) ·         (Feb 20) @ Kiev; Government confirms it gave police authority to use live ammo on protesters prior to deadly clashes (RIA Novosti) ·         (Feb 20) EU foreign ministers discuss placing arms embargo and sanctions on Ukraine following deadly clashes (RIA Novosti) ·         (Feb 20) @ Kiev; News sources report at least 21 have been killed following a truce breakdown between police and protesters on Wednesday, Russian sources report 50-killed (BBC)