March 16 - 22 Weekly News & Log Updates

WEEKLY NEWS & LOG UPDATE March 16 – March 22

NAVAL-MARINE OPERATIONS

CHINA 16th ESCORT TASK FORCE •    (Mar 20) @ Mediterranean; Chinese frigate PLAN Huangshan completes its 9th escort mission of Syrian chemical weapons (People's Daily) PLAN Haixun 01 (Rescue Ship) ·         (Mar 18) @ S. China Sea; Chinese rescue ship departs for Singapore, will patrol near the Sunda Strsits and assist in the search for missing airliner MH370 (People's Daily) PLAN Qiandaohu (Supply Ship) ·         (Mar 17) @ S. China Sea; Chinese supply ship resupply’s PLAN Haikou and Mianyang during search for missing airliner MH370 (People's Daily) FRANCE WEST AFRICA CORYMBE TASK FORCE ·         Task Force: FS Commadant Birot (Frigate) ·         NO NEWS JEAN DE ARC TASK FORCE ·         Task Force: FS Mistral (Assault Ship); FS La Fayette (Frigate) ·         (Mar 13) @ Atlantic; Task Force conducts amphibious exercise at Belle Isle (MOD)   RUSSIA MEDITERRANEAN TASK FORCE •   NO NEWS RFS Vladivostok (Assault Ship) ·         (Mar 20) Russia says France must fulfill their delivery contract or return money, completion of the assault ships Vladivostok and Sevastopol have been in question since the Crimean crisis and initiation of EU sanctions (RIA Novosti) UNITED KINGDOM HMS Defender (Destroyer) ·         (Mar 19) UK destroyer completes 5-weeks of pre-deployment training (Royal Navy) HMAS Ballarat (Australian Frigate) ·         (Mar 21) @ Indian Ocean; Australian frigate HMAS Ballarat and HMAS Success (Supply Ship) participate in Exercise BLUE RAPTOR during Operation Slipper patrol (AU) UNITED STATES US CARRIER STRIKE GROUPS USS Bush CSG ·         (Mar 21) @ Black Sea; USN destroyer departs Black Sea after concluding PASSEX with NATO allies (USN) ·         (Mar 19) @ Red Sea; USN Strike Group enters 5th Fleet AOR after transiting Suez Canal (USN) ·         (Mar 19) @ Black Sea; USN destroyer conducts PASSEX and training with Romania and Bulgaria (USN) USS Truman CSG ·         (Mar 19) @ Gulf of Oman; USN strike group concludes support for OEF (USN) USS Vinson CSG ·         (Mar 21) @ San Diego; Carrier group concludes Fleet Synthetic Training in preparation for COMPTUEX and JTFEX pre-deployment training (USN)   US AMPHIBIOUS READY GROUPS & COMMAND SHIPS USS Bataan ARG ·         (Mar 8) @ Israel; USN Landing ship USS Mesa Verde conducts tours of Israel during port visit (USN) USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) ·         (Mar 18) @ Philippines; USN Command ship visits Manila, conducts ship tours, military exchanges, and recreational events (USN) USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20) ·         (Mar 20) @ Italy; USN Command Ship for 6th Fleet completes 3-days of underway readiness training (USN)   US WARSHIPS USS Kidd (DDG-100) ·         (Mar 18) @ Andaman Sea; USN destroyer is detached from SAR efforts for missing airliner MH370, nothing has been found (USN) USS Simpson (FFG-56) ·         (Mar 20) @ Mayport; USN frigate returns from 6th Fleet deployment (DOD-Live) USS Wayne E Meyer (DDG-108) ·         (Mar 20) @ San Diego; USN destroyer begins 7th Fleet / WESTPAC deployment (USN) USNS Spearhead (JHSV-1) ·         (Mar 10-14) @ Atlantic; USN high speed vessel participates in Exercise Saharan Express off Morocco (USN) OTHER REGIONAL POWERS / ORGANIZATIONS EU – OPERATION ATALANTA (CTF-465) •    (Mar 18) @ Wilhelmshanven; German supply ship FGS Rhon departs for EU Operation ATALANTA patrol in Indian Ocean, is expected to return home in June (Bundesmarine) •    (Mar 17) @ Wilhelmshaven; German frigate FGS Brandenburg departs for EU Operation ATALANTA patrol in Indian Ocean (Bundesmarine) •    (Mar 13) @ Gulf of Aden; French LST FS Siroco refuels Greek frigate HS Psara (MOD) •    (Feb 20) @ Gulf of Aden; Greek Frigate HS Psara joins EU Operation ATALANTA, begins patrol (EU) •    (Feb 13) @ Greece; Greek frigate HS Psara (F-454 – Hydra Class WIKI) departs for EU Operation Atalanta (EU) NATO – OPERATION OCEAN SHIELD (CTF-508) (Patrolled by NATO-SNMG-2) •    (Mar 21) @ Seychelles; Netherlands frigate HMNLS Evertsen delivered badly injured civilian sailor from French fishing vessel Belouve to Seychelles for medical treatment (NATO) •    (Mar 19) @ Djibouti; Spanish frigate SPS Cristobal Colon replaces SPS Alvaro De Bazan as Flagship for SNMG-2 until US Navy assumes control this summer (NATO) NATO – SNMG-1 •    NO NEWS INDIA ·         (Mar 20) @ Bay of Bengal; Indian warships and aircraft participate in search operations for missing airliner MH370 (Indian Navy) …units include o    INS Batti Malv (T67 – Bangaram Class OPS) o    INS Sahyadri (F49 – Shivalik FFG) o    INS Saryu (P54 – Saryu Class OPS) o    INS Satpura (F48 – Shivalik Class FFG) ITALY ·         (Mar 19) @ Mediterranean; Italian assault ship ITS San Giusto, frigate ITS Euro and Patrol Ship Cigala Fulgosi, Coast Guard cutters 302 and 305, rescued 596 migrants (DIFESA)

AIR-GROUND OPERATIONS

AFRICA NO NEWS AMERICAS NO NEWS ASIA / PACIFIC NO NEWS EUROPE UKRAINE ·         (Mar 22) 2,000 of 18,000 Ukrainian troops stationed in Crimea return to Ukraine with their families (RIA Novosti) ·         (Mar 18) Russian lawmaker says Crimea could take control of half of Ukraine’s Navy (about 20-ships), and eventually turn them over to Russia (RIA Novosti) ·         (Mar 18) Crimea requires Tatars to vacate land and relocate in effort to resolve squatting by Tatars returning to their native land (RIA Novosti) ·         (Mar 18) @ Sevestopol; Russians storm and capture Ukrainian naval base, base commander detained (BBC) ·         (Mar 18) @ Crimea; Ukrainian and Russian soldier killed during clash at Simferopol Ukrainian Army Vehicle Pool Base ·         (Mar 17) EU and US impose travel and asset freezes on Russian and Crimean officials (BBC) ·         (Mar 17) Ukraine partially mobilizes the country’s reserve forces, Sky News reports anti-tank traps and trenches being placed on border near Donetsk, Anti-Air units moving towards border (RIA Novosti) ·         (Mar 16) Crimea votes to join Russian Federation (RIA Novosti)