April 27 - May 3 Weekly News & Log Updates

WEEKLY NEWS & LOG UPDATE April 27 – May 3

NAVAL-MARINE OPERATIONS

CHINA 16th ESCORT TASK FORCE ·         NO NEWS FRANCE WEST AFRICA CORYMBE TASK FORCE ·         Task Force:  FS Cmdt Blaison ·         (Apr 28) French patrol frigate FS Cmdt Blaison begins 3-month CORYMBE patrol in Gulf of Guinea (MOD.FR) JEAN DE ARC TASK FORCE ·         Task Force: FS Mistral (Assault Ship); FS La Fayette (Frigate) ·         NONE RUSSIA MEDITERRANEAN TASK FORCE ·         NO NEWS RFS Viktor Leonov (Intel) ·         (Apr 29) @ Caribbean; Russian intel ship and it’s support ship RFS Nikolay Chiker participate in anti-drug exercises with Nicaragua and Honduras (RIA Novosti) RFS Vladivostok (Assault Ship) ·         (Apr 30) Russia says delivery of two Mistral class assault ships from France won’t be affected by EU sanctions for the Ukrainian crisis (RIA Novosti) UNITED KINGDOM NONE UNITED STATES US CARRIER STRIKE GROUPS USS GHW Bush CSG ·         (Apr 27) @ Bahrain; US carrier departs Manama following 5-day visit (USN) ·         (Apr 23) @ Jordan; US destroyer departs Aqaba, conducted Change of Command ceremony and MWR tour of Petra (USN) USS Nimitz (CVN-68) ·         (Apr 28) @ Everett; US carrier begins flight deck qualifications (USN) US AMPHIBIOUS READY GROUPS & COMMAND SHIPS USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) ·         (Apr 29) @ Japan; US Command Ship begins 7th Fleet patrol (USN) USS Essex (LHD-2) ·         (Apr 28) @ San Diego; US assault ship departs dock following 2-year DPMA maintenance, begin underway sea trials period (USN)   US WARSHIPS USS Carney (DDG-64) ·         (Apr 29) @ Turkey; US destroyer departs Bodrum following port visit and MWR visit to Ephesus and Pamukkale (USN) USS Taylor (FFG-50) ·         (May 1) @ Romania; US frigate departs Constanta following port visit, hosted luncheon with Romanian sailors (USN) USS Vella Gulf (CG-72) ·         (Apr 30) @ Israel; US cruiser USS Vella Gulf and destroyer USS Donald Cook visit Haifa, participate in Holocaust Remembrance Day (USN) USNS Spearhead (JHSV-1) ·         (May 2) @ Atlantic; US High speed vessel departs 6th Fleet AOR, returning home for maintenance, then will join 4th Fleet patrol (USN) OTHER REGIONAL POWERS / ORGANIZATIONS EU – OPERATION ATALANTA (CTF-465) ·         (Apr 25) @ Indian Ocean; French frigate FS Floreal assists 4-fishermen after departing Seychelles port visit (MOD.FR) NATO – OPERATION OCEAN SHIELD (CTF-508) (Patrolled by NATO-SNMG-2) ·         (Apr 28) @ Seychelles; Spanish frigate SPS C. Colon trains 16-coast guard students in VBSS team procedures (Armada) NATO – SNMG-1 ·         NONE NATO – SNMG-2 ·         SEE OPERATION OCEAN SHIELD GERMANY ·         (Apr 29) @ Gulf of Guinea; EAV task force conducts VBSS training with Ghana, Cameroon and Benin off the coast of Nigeria; FGS Hamburg and Oldenburg acted as target ships (Bundesmarine)

AIR-GROUND OPERATIONS

CHINA NONE FRANCE POLAND ·         (Apr 28) @ Malbork; France deploys 4-Rafale fighters to NATO air reinforcement mission to Poland (MOD.FR) RUSSIA RUSSIA ·         (Apr 30) a newly formed Russian army helicopter brigade begins training flights near Latvia and Estonia, equipment includes MI-28N “Night Hunter” and KA-52 “Alligator” attack helicopters, and MI-8MTV-5 and MI-26T combat transport helicopters (RIA Novosti) UKRAINE ·         (May 2) @ Odessa; pro-Russian and Pro-Ukrainian groups fight in streets, dozens dead and injured; @ Slovyansk; rebels shoot down Ukrainian MI-24 helicopters with MANPADS, capture pilots (AOL) ·         (Apr 30) Pro-Russian gunmen capture more government buildings in E. Ukraine (CBS) ·         (Apr 28) @ Kostyantynivka, mayor of city shot by pro-Russian gunmen (The Courier)   UNITED KINGDOM BAHRAIN ·         (Apr 28) UK Minister breaks ground on Royal Navy HQ in Bahrain (Royal Navy) ESTONIA ·         (May 2) @ Estonia; UK Duke of Lancaster Regiment, 1 Battalion, deploy to Estonia to act as OPFOR in training Exercise SPRING STORM (GOV.UK) UNITED STATES AFGHANISTAN ·         (Apr 28) US 10th Mountain Division, 3rd Brigade – KIA @ Baraki Barak District, Logar Province (DOD) (DOD) MULTILATERAL OPERATIONS NONE