Nov 23-29 Weekly News & Log Updates

WEEKLY NEWS & LOG UPDATE Nov 23 – Nov 29

NAVAL & MARINE OPERATIONS

CHINA Peoples Liberation Army – Navy Task Forces 18th ESCORT TASK FORCE PLAN Changbaishan (LPD) PLAN Yuncheng (Frigate) PLAN Chaohu (Supply) LOCATION: Gulf of Aden (Anti-Piracy Patrols / Commercial Shipping Escorts) ·         NO UPDATES Other NO UPDATES

FRANCE Atlantic Patrols <Forward-Deployed> FS Dumont d’Urville (LST) FS Germinal (Frigate) FS Ventose (Frigate) LOCATION: Based @ Martinique Island, Caribbean Sea ·         NO UPDATES <CORYMBE Patrol> FS EV Jacoubet (Frigate) FS Tonnere (Assault) LOCATION: Gulf of Guinea, Atlantic Ocean ·         (Nov 21) @ Gulf of Guinea; FS Tonnere arrives, assumes command of Operation Corymbe with FS EV Jacoubet (GOV.FR) Med Patrol FS Cassard (Destroyer) FS Guepratte (Frigate) LOCATION: East Mediterranean ·         NO UPDATES BLACK SEA PATROL FS Dupuy de Lome (Intel) LOCATION: Black Sea ·         NO UPDATES Indian Ocean <Forward-Deployed> FS Floreal (Frigate) FS Nivose (Frigate) LOCATION: Based @ Reunion Island; Indian Ocean ·         NO UPDATES <Op. CHAMMAL> FS Jean Bart (Destroyer)   LOCATION: <IRAQ-ISIS OPERATIONS> Arabian Gulf; Indian Ocean ·         NO UPDATES Pacific Patrols <Forward-Deployed> FS Prairial (Frigate) FS Vendemiaire (Frigate) LOCATION: Based @ New Caledonia & Tahiti Island; Pacific Ocean ·         NO UPDATES   Other FS Charles de Gaulle (Carrier) ·         (Nov 28) @ Corsica; FS Charles de Gaulle conducts PEAN aviation air wing training in Mediterranean with battle group consisting of FS Chevalier Paul, Montcalm, an attack sub, and 12-Rafale Marine 11F with a rapid reaction HQ (GOV.FR)

RUSSIA Task Forces MED. TASK FORCE RFS Vice Adm. Kulakov (DDG) (3-5) U/I LSTs LOCATION: Mediterranean ·         NO UPDATES   SEVEROMORSK Task Force RFS Alex Ostrakovskiy (LST) RFS Severomorsk (Destroyer) ·         (Nov 28) @ English Channel; A Russian squadron from the North Fleet takes shelter in the English Channel during training exercises, task force includes RFS Severomorsk, RFS Alexander Ostrakovsky, an ocean going tug and supply ship (Daily Mail) (Sputnik) G20 Summit Task Force RFS Boris Butoma (Supply) RFS Fotly Krylov (Tug) RFS Marshal Shaposhnikov (DDG) RFS Varyag (Cruiser) LOCATION: Pacific Ocean ·         NO UPDATES Other NO UPDATES

UNITED KINGDOM – ROYAL NAVY TASK FORCES   COUGAR 2014 (Aug – Dec) HMS Bulwark (LPD) ·         Commander, 3 Commando ·         40 Commando RFA Lyme Bay (LSD) RFA Wave Ruler (Supply) FGS Schleswig-Holstein (FFG) LOCATION: Arabian Sea ·         NO UPDATES Atlantic Patrol HMS Argyll (Frigate) HMS Dragon (Destroyer) HMS Iron Duke (Frigate) HMS Protector (Ice Patrol) HMS Severn (Patrol) HMCS Athabaskan (Destroyer) RFA Argus (Hospital) LOCATION: Atlantic and Caribbean Sea ·         (Nov 28) @ Portsmouth; HMS Severn deploys for 8-month North Atlantic patrol (MOD.UK) ·         (Nov 26) @ Sierra Leone; Fliers from 820 NAS onboard RFA Argus fly urgent supplies in for the UN World Food Program as part of the international effort to stem the Ebola tide (MOD.UK) ·         (Nov 24) @ Caribbean; HMS Argyll seizes more than 850kg of cocaine following high speed chase across the Caribbean (MOD.UK)   Med Patrol HMS Enterprise (Survey) HMS Northumberland (FFG) ·         NO UPDATES <SNMG-2> HMCS Toronto (Frigate) ·         NO UPDATES Indian Ocean Patrol HMS Defender (Destroyer) HMS Kent (Frigate) RFA Cardigan Bay (LSD) ·         NO UPDATES <CMF-CTF-150> HMAS Toowoomba (FFH-156) ·         NO UPDATES Other HMS Ocean (Assault Ship) ·         (Nov 28) during OST training the two youngest crew members assist the captain in the traditional stirring of the Christmas pudding for mess (http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/Stirring-ceremony-Plymouth-warship-HMS-Ocean/story-24836833-detail/story.html) HMS St. Albans (Frigates) ·         (Nov 27) @ Portsmouth; UK frigate embarks friends and family for cruise to London (MOD.UK) HMAS Canberra (Assault Ship - LHD) ·         (Nov 28) @ Sydney; new Australian assault ship (Juan Carlos Class LHD) joins the Royal Australian Navy in a ceremony attended by the Governor General and Prime Minister, ship will commence training and crew assessment in coming weeks, and is capable of Amphibious, disaster and Humanitarian operations, and can embark 1000 troops and  (GOV.AU)

UNITED STATES NAVY Carrier Strike Groups USS Carl Vinson (CSG-1) Commander, DESRON – 1 USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) ·         Carrier Air Wing – 17 USS Bunker Hill (CG-52) USS Gridley (DDG-101) USS Sterett (DDG-104) USS Dewey (DDG-105) LOCATION: <IRAQ OPERATIONS> 5th Fleet, Arabian Gulf ·         (Nov 25) @ Arabian Gulf; CENTCOM commander visits USS Vinson during All Hands Call held in the hanger bay (USN)   USS George Washington (CSG-5) <Forward-Deployed: Japan> Commander, CSG-5 USS George Washington (CVN-73) ·         Carrier Air Wing – 5 USS Antietam (Cruiser) USS Halsey (Destroyer) LOCATION: 7th Fleet, Philippine Sea ·         (Nov 25) @ Japan; USS Washington CSG arrives at home port following completion of its 2014 WESTPC patrol (http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=84638) USS Theodore Roosevelt (CSG-12) Commander, CSG-12 Commander, DESRON-2 USS T. Roosevelt (CVN-71) ·         Carrier Air Wing – 1 USS Normandy (CG-60) USS Winston Churchill (DDG-81) USS Forrest Sherman (DDG-98) USS Farragut (DDG-99) LOCATION: <TRAINING> Atlantic @ Norfolk (2015 Deployment) ·          (Nov 24) @ Mayport; Carrier pulls into port for Thanksgiving holiday (http://news.wjct.org/webclip/uss-roosevelt-pulls-port-just-time-thanksgiving)   Amphibious Ready Groups   &   Command Ships USS Essex ARG USS Essex (LHD-2) USS Anchorage (LPD-23) USS Rushmore (LSD-47) 15TH MEU (USMC-Assault Battalion) LOCATION: <TRAINING> Pacific @ San Diego (2015 Deployment) ·         NO UPDATES   USS Iwo Jima ARG USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) USS New York (LPD-21) USS Fort McHenry (LSD-43) 24th MEU (USMC-Assault Battalion) LOCATION: <TRAINING> Atlantic @ Mayport (Future Deployment) ·         NO UPDATES   USS Makin Island ARG USS Makin Island (LHD-8) USS San Diego (LPD-22) USS Comstock (LSD-45) 11th MEU (USMC-Assault Battalion) LOCATION: <IRAQ OPERATIONS> 5th Fleet; Arabian Gulf ·         NO UPDATES USS Peleliu ARG (PEL-ESG) Commander, ESG-7 Commander, PHIBRON-11 USS Peleliu (LHA-5) USS Germantown (LSD-42) 31st MEU (USMC-Assault Battalion) LOCATION: 7th Fleet,  S. China Sea ·         NO UPDATES   Other ·          NO UPDATES

OTHER REGIONAL POWERS / ORGANIZATIONS EU Naval Task Forces INDIAN OCEAN “OPERATION ATALANTA” (CTF-465) FGS Lubeck (Frigate) HNLMS Van Speijk (Frigate) HS Psara (Frigate) ITS Andrea Doria (Destroyer)[FLAG] SPS Navarra (Frigate) TCG Gelibolu (Frigate) LOCATION: Arabian Sea ·         (Nov 28) @ Tanzania; ITS Andrea Doria visits Dar es Salaam, conducts CIMIC, providing Humanitarian assistance at Vinunguti kindergarten (DIFESA) NATO Naval Task Forces OPERATION OCEAN SHIELD (CTF-508) HDMS Esbern Snare (Frigate)   LOCATION: Arabian Sea ·         NO UPDATES NATO – SNMG-2 FGS Niedersachsen (Frigate) HMCS Toronto (Frigate) TCG Kemalreis (Frigate) USS Leyte Gulf (CG) <GBCSG> LOCATION: Mediterranean ·         (Nov 30) @ Greece; SNMG-2 visits Piraeus NATO – SNMG-2 (Unit-2) SPS Alm. Juan de Borbon (Frigate) SPS Reina Sophia (Frigate) LOCATION: Black Sea & Mediterranean Patrol ·         (Nov 24) @ Greece; HM Queen Sofia of Spain visits SPS Reina Sofia during port stop at Piraeus, her hometown (Armada)   NATO – SNMCMG-1 LNS Jotvingis (MCM) <FLAG> (6-8) NATO Minehunters LOCATION: English Channel ·         NO UPDATES NATO – SNMCMG-2 ITS Aviere (Frigate) <FLAG> (6) NATO Minehunters LOCATION: Mediterranean “ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR” Patrol ·         NO UPDATES   UN CMF Task Force (CTF-150) (UNSC-1368, 1373) U/I Pakistani Warship <FLAG> HMAS Toowoomba (FFH-156) RFA Fort Austin (Supply) LOCATION: Indian Ocean ·          (Nov 30) @ Indian Ocean; HMAS Toowoomba achieves her second successful drug haul within 72-hours off coast of east Africa (CMF) CMF Task Force (CTF-151) JS Samadare (Destroyer) JS Takanami (Destroyer) ROKS Munmu The Great (Destroyer) TCG Gemlik LOCATION: Gulf of Aden & Arabian Sea ·         (Nov 25) @ Bahrain; New Zealand passes command of CTF-151 to Thailand (CMF)   Other ITALY ITS Cavour (Carrier)   ·         (Nov 21) @ Croatia; ITS Cavour visits Gruz-Dubrovnick for friendship meetings with ambassador, and public tours (DIFESA)

AIR-GROUND OPERATIONS   CHINA   ·         NO UPDATES FRANCE Op. Sangaris: CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC ·         NO UPDATES   Op. Chammal: IRAQ ·         NO UPDATES Op. BAL: MALI-NIGER-CHAD ·         NO UPDATES RUSSIA   ·         NO UPDATES UNITED KINGDOM IRAQ ·         (Nov 27) RAF Tornado GR4s and Reapers conduct air support missions in northern Iraq in support of Kurdish and Iraqi forces; Tornados bombed an ISIS fixed fighting position with Paveway IV bombs, then joined Reapers in attacking ISIS vehicles (APCs and armed trucks) with Paveway bombs, Brimstone and Hellfire missiles; UK Army training team continues to run Peshmerga fighters through training courses, and transport aircraft delivered military consignment equipment (GOV.UK) UNITED STATES   ·         NO UPDATES