July 20-26 Weekly News & Log Updates

WEEKLY NEWS & LOG UPDATE July 20 - 26

NAVAL & MARINE OPERATIONS

CHINA Peoples Liberation Army – Navy Task Forces 16th ESCORT TASK FORCE PLAN Huangshan (Frigate) PLAN Luoyang (Frigate) PLAN Yanchen (Frigate) U/I-Supply Ship LOCATION: EST Indian Ocean, heading home NO UPDATES 17th ESCORT TASK FORCE PLAN Changchun (DDG); U/I-Frigate U/I-Supply Ship LOCATION: Gulf of Aden NO UPDATES   Other NO UPDATES

FRANCE Task Forces NONE   Atlantic Patrols FS Germinal (Frigate) FS Ventose (Frigate) <CORYMBE> FS Cdt Blaison (Frigate) NO UPDATES   Med Patrol FS Cassard (Destroyer) NO UPDATES Indian Ocean FS Floreal (Frigate) FS Nivose (Frigate) NO UPDATES                                                                                                             Pacific Patrols FS Prairial (Frigate) FS Vendemiaire (Frigate) NO UPDATES Other NO UPDATES

RUSSIA Task Forces MED. TASK FORCE RFS Vice Adm. Kulakov (DDG) (3-5) U/I LSTs LOCATION: E. Mediterranean NO UPDATES Other NO UPDATES

UNITED KINGDOM Atlantic Patrol HMS Argyll (Frigate) HMS Clyde (Patrol) HMS Iron Duke (Frigate) HMS Portland (Frigate) HMS Protector (Ice Patrol) (Jul 22) @ Caribbean; HMS Argyll and Portland meet near Puerto Rico, transfer materials, Argyll begins APT(N) duties, Portland returning home (MOD.UK) (Jul 21) @ Virgin Islands; HMS Argyll departs the British Virgin Islands after a 2-day visit for community engagement and disaster relief planning (MOD.UK)   Med Patrol HMS Enterprise (Survey) NO UPDATES   Indian Ocean Patrol HMS Defender (Destroyer) HMS Northumberland (FFG) HMAS Darwin (Frigate) RFA Fort Austin (Supply) SEE NATO TASK FORCES CTF-150 & CTF-151   Far East Patrol HMAS Sydney (Frigate) NO UPDATES Other HMS Illustrious (Carrier) ·         (Jul 22) @ Portsmouth; HMS Illustrious hands over duties to HMS Ocean, HMS Lancaster escorts Illustrious into homeport, will be retired soon (MOD.UK)   HMS Ocean (Assault Carrier) ·         (Jul 21) UK assault ship completes ammo on-load (MOD.UK) ·         (Jul 19) UK assault ship passes 1st phase of engineering sea trials (MOD.UK)

UNITED STATES NAVY Carrier Strike Groups USS Carl Vinson (CSG-1) USS Bunker Hill (CG) USS Gridley (DDG) USS Sterett (DDG) USS Dewey (DDG) LOCATION: California (Ready to Deploy) (Jul 23) San Diego; CSG holds pre-deployment briefing in ships hanger for servicemen and families (USN)   USS George HW Bush (CSG-2) USS Philippine Sea (CG) USS A. Burke (DDG-51)(ABM) USS Roosevelt (DDG-80) USS Truxun (DDG) <SNMG-2> USS Leyte Gulf (CG) LOCATION: 5th Fleet, CENTCOM, Arabian Gulf (Ops in Iraq) NO UPDATES   USS George Washington (GWCSG) <Forward-Deployed: Japan> Carrier Air Wing – 5 USS Antietam (CG-54) USS Shiloh (CG-67) LOCATION: 7th Fleet, WESTPAC, Yellow Sea (Jul 24-30) @ E. China Sea; CSG participates in MALABAR 2014 with India (Jul 23-25) @ E. China Sea; CSG embarks (22) marines from FASTPAC team for exercise ADIUTRIX SPEAR 14-2, which tests the marines and ships as rapidly deployable sea platforms for special anti-terror missions (USN) (Jul 19-20) @ Yellow Sea; USS G. Washington hosts New Zealand midshipman (USN)   USS Theodore Roosevelt (CSG-12) Carrier Air Wing – 1 USS Normandy (CG-60) USS Winston Churchill (DDG-81) USS Forrest Sherman (DDG-98) USS Farragut (DDG-99) LOCATION: Atlantic, (Training to Deploy in 2015) NO UPDATES   Amphibious Ready Groups USS America (SOUTHCOM Underway) USS America (LHA-6) 300-Marines (SP-MAGTF) (2) MV-22 (MVX-22) LOCATION: 4th Fleet, SOUTHCOM, Caribbean Sea (Jul 22) @ Cuba; US assault ship visits Guantanamo Bay NS for R&R (USN) (Jul 19) @ Columbia; US assault ship depart Cartegena after 3-day visit (USN) (Jul 16) @ Columbia; US assault ship visits Covenas, begin 3-day bi-lateral exercise with Columbian Marines at the International Center for Amphibious Training (USN) (USN)   USS Blue Ridge <Forward-Deployed: Japan> USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) Commander, US 7th Fleet (Flag Staff) Helicopter Squadron (HSC-12) USMC Fleet Anti-Terrorism Team LOCATION: 7th Fleet, WESTPAC, Pacific Ocean (Jul 22) @ Japan; US command ship departs Otaru after 4-day visit, HCS-12 helicopters participated in Otaru Airshow (USN)   USS Bataan ARG USS Mesa Verde (LPD); USS Gunston Hall (LSD); 22nd MEU (USMC-Assault Battalion) LOCATION: 6th Fleet, EUCOM, Mediterranean LOCATION: USS Mesa Verde @ Arabian Gulf (Iraq Ops) NO UPDATES USS Bonhomme Richard ARG  <Forward-Deployed: Japan> USS Denver (LPD); USS Ashland (LSD-48) USS Germantown (LSD); 31st MEU (USMC-Assault Battalion)   LOCATION: 7th Fleet, Homeport (Sasebo, Japan) NO UPDATES USS Makin Island ARG Commander, PHIBRON-5 USS Makin Island (LHD-8) USS San Diego (LPD-22) USS Comstock (LSD-45) 11th MEU (USMC-Assault Battalion) LOCATION: Pacific (Jul 25) @ San Diego; Makin Island ARG deploys to WESTPAC and CENTCOM (USN)   USS Peleliu ARG USS Green Bay (LPD); USS Rushmore (LSD); 15th MEU (USMC-Assault Battalion) LOCATION: Hawaii (RIMPAC 2014) SEE RIMPAC 2014 Exercises & Task Forces MALABAR 2014 USA USS G. Washington CSG USS JS McCain (Destroyer) USS Columbus (Sub) INDIA INS Ranvijay (Destroyer) INS Shivalik (Frigate) INS Shakti (Supply) LOCATION: 7th Fleet @ E. China Sea (Jul 24-30) @ E. China Sea; CSG participates in MALABAR 2014 with India, Includes USS John McCain (DDG) and USS Columbus (SSN), Indian warships include INS Ranvijay, Shivalik and tanker Shakti (NIC.IN) (USN) (India Times)   PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP 2014 JS Kunisaki (LST-4003) LOCATION: 7th Fleet @ S. China Sea off Philippines (Jul 24) Japan MOD/JSDF releases Q/A on PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP 2014 (MOD.JP)   RIMPAC 2014 (June 26 – August 1) USA USS Anchorage (LPD-ASB) USS Cape St. George (CG-71) USS Chosin (CG) USS Gary (FFG-51) USS Independence (LCS-2) USS Peleliu ARG USS Reagan (CVN) USS Sampson (DDG-102) USNS Mercy (T-AH-19) Australia HMAS Sheean (SSG) HMAS Success (SUP) Brunei KDB Darulaman (OPV); KDB Darussalam (OPV) Canada HMCS Calgary (FFH) HMCS Nanaimo (MM-Coastal Def) HMCS Victoria (SSK) HMCS Whitehorse (MM-Coastal Def) China PLAN Haikou (DDG); PLAN Yueyang (FFG); PLAN Peace Ark (HOS); PLAN Qiandaohu (SUP) Columbia CNS Blanco Encalada (FF) India INS Sahyadri (FFG) Japan ? New Zealand HMNZS Canterbury (LSD) Norway HNOMS Fridtjof Nansen (FFG) Singapore RSS Intrepid (FF) LOCATION: 3rd Fleet @ Pacific @ Hawaii (Jul 22) USS Gary demonstrates proficiency at RIMPAC 2014 in naval gunnery, helicopter, navigation and handling, participated in group sail from San Diego to Hawaii with USS Cape St. George and Sampson, CNS B. Encalada, HNOMS F. Nansen, and HMCS Calgary (USN) (Jul 22) PLAN Peace Ark and USNS Mercy conduct joint RIMPAC exercises (People's Daily) (Jul 21) USNS Mercy is hosting Naval Academy midshipmen (Jul 14 – Aug 10) during RIMPAC (USN) (Jul 20) PLAN Peace Ark and USNS Mercy exchange medical staff during the sea-phase of RIMPAC (People's Daily) (Jul 15) PLAN Vice Admiral Jiang, South Sea Fleet, visits USNS Mercy during Sea-Phase exercises (USN) 3rd / 4th Fleet (see Exercise RIMPAC-2014) USNS Spearhead (JHSV-1) ·         (Jul 22) @ Guatemala; US high speed vessel visits Puerto Barrios for SOUTHERN PARTNERSHIP STATION 2014, off-loads AFP supporting multi-disciplinary task teams, will begin anti-drug patrol after AFP off-load (USN)   5th Fleet NO UPDATES 6th Fleet USS Donald Cook (DDG-75) ·         (Jul 25) @ Spain; US destroyer returns to forward-deployed homeport at Rota NB, finishes first FDNF deployment (USN) USS Elrod (FFG-55) ·         (Jul 19) @ Norfolk; US frigate returns to homeport following final deployment to 6th Fleet / Africa (USN)   7th Fleet (see Task Force PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP 2014) USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62) ·         (Jul 19) @ Japan; US destroyer visited Fukuoka, crewmen visited Fukuoka Institute of Technology and played basketball against the local student team during goodwill port visit (USN) USS Halsey (DDG-97) ·         (Jul 18) @ Guam; US destroyer makes port visit to Inarajan, sailors volunteer at Inarajan Elementary, ship currently deployed to WESTPAC (USN) USS Kidd (DDG-100) ·         (Jul 15-19) @ Korea; US destroyer participates in bi-lateral exercise with USS G. Washington CSG and S. Korean Navy (USN)   Other News USS Coronado (LCS-4) ·         (Jul 24) US littoral combat ship plans to test Norwegian anti-ship missile Naval Strike Missile in the Fall, 2014. US Navy may purchase for use (USN) USS Hopper (DDG-70) ·         (Jul 18) @ Hawaii; US Deputy A.Sec for Space and Defense Policy (AVC) toured the US destroyer, discussed naval BMD systems and future (USN)

OTHER REGIONAL POWERS / ORGANIZATIONS EU Naval Task Forces EUROMARFOR INDIAN OCEAN “OPERATION ATALANTA” (CTF-465) FGS Berlin (Supply) FGS Brandenburg (Frigate) HS Psara (Frigate) ITS Andrea Doria (Destroyer) SPS Navarra (Frigate) TCG Gelibolu (Frigate) LOCATION: Indian Ocean (Jul 25) @ Somalia; SPS Navarra (Frigate) begins anti-piracy patrol, relieves Ocean Patrol Vessel ITS Relampago at Caluula, former Somali pirate haven (Armada) (Jul 22) @ Italy; Italian destroyer ITS Andrea Doria departs for OPERATION ATALANTA anti-piracy patrol, will arrive at Djibouti on (Aug 6) to assume command of task force (DIFESA)   EUROMARFOR MEDITERRANEAN SEA FS Montcalm (DDG); PS Vasco de Gama (FFG) SPS Santa Maria (FFG) LOCATION: E. Mediterranean NO UPDATES NATO Naval Task Forces NATO OPERATION OCEAN SHIELD (CTF-508) HDMS Esbern Snare (FFG) ITS Mimbelli (DDG) LOCATION: Indian Ocean (Jul 22) @ Tanzania; Italian destroyer ITS Mimbelli visits Dar Es Salaam, conducts counter-piracy training with Tanzanian Navy (NATO)   NATO – SNMG-1 HNOMS Thor Heyerdahl (FFG) LOCATION: Mediterranean NO UPDATES NATO – SNMG-2 FGS Niedersachsen (FFG) HMCS Regina (FFH) TCG Kemalreis (FFG) USS Leyte Gulf (CG) <GBCSG> LOCATION: Atlantic Ocean NO UPDATES NATO – SNMCMG-1 HDMS Thetis (FFG) <FLAG> FGS Elbe (Supply) (2) Minehunters LOCATION: Baltic Sea NO UPDATES NATO – SNMCMG-2 ITS Aviere (FFG) <FLAG> (3) Minehunters LOCATION: Mediterranean “ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR” Patrol NO UPDATES CMF Task Force (CTF-150) HMS Northumberland (FFG) HMAS Darwin (FFG) RFA Fort Austin (Supply) LOCATION: Indian Ocean (Jul 23) @ Indian Ocean; HMAS Darwin completes CTF-150 patrol, returning home (CMF)   CMF Task Force (CTF-151) HMS Defender (DDG) JS Samadare (DDG) JS U/I Destroyer ROKS Munmu The Great (DDG) LOCATION: Gulf of Aden NO UPDATES UN SYRIAN WMD (UNSC-2118) FGS Augsburg (FFG) FGS Schleswig-Holstein (FFG) USNS Cape Ray U/I Denmark Ship LOCATION: Mediterranean Sea NO UPDATES Other ITALY ITS Cavour (Carrier) ITS Durand de La Penne (Destroyer) ITS San Giorgio (Assault Ship) ITS Zeffiro (Frigate) (Jul 24) @ Taranto, Italy; ITS Cavour hosts 22-students from Francesco Morosini Military Naval School (DIFESA) (Jul 21) @ Mediterranean; Italian assault ship ITS San Giorgio and frigate Zeffiro rescue 1771 migrants at sea within 24 hours (DIFESA) (Jul 18-21) @ Spain; Destroyer ITS Durand de La Penne visits Barcelona, embarks naval students and sails for Lisbon, Portugal (DIFESA)

AIR-GROUND OPERATIONS   CHINA MAINLAND (Jul 24) PLA announces successful land based anti-ballistic missile interception test, plans to build national BMD system (People's Daily) (Jul 23) PLA conducts land based anti-missile technology experiment (People's Daily)   FRANCE NO UPDATES NO UPDATES RUSSIA UKRAINE   (Jul 24) US DOD states that Russian forces are firing artillery across the border to strike Ukrainian military positions (FOX)   UNITED KINGDOM NO UPDATES NO UPDATES UNITED STATES CENTCOM – AFGHANISTAN (Jul 25) 1st Cavalry Division, 2nd Brigade – KIA @ Ghazni Province (Illness) (DOD) (Jul 25) 4th Infantry Division, 4th Brigade – (2) KIA @ Mirugol Kalay (DOD) (Jul 23) DOD announces next OEF rotation for Fall, 2014 (DOD) ·         82nd Airborne Division, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade ·         101st Airborne Division, 1st Brigade ·         101st Airborne Division, 3rd Brigade   CENTCOM – ISRAEL (Jul 27) @ Gaza; HAMAS refuses to extend 24-hour humanitarian truce, resumes rocket fire, IDF then resumes ground offensive, then HAMAS agrees to another 24-hour truce (FOX)