Feb 08-14 Weekly News & Log Updates

WEEKLY NEWS & LOG UPDATE Feb 08 – Feb 14

NAVAL & MARINE OPERATIONS

CHINA Peoples Liberation Army – Navy Task Forces 18th ESCORT TASK FORCE PLAN Changbaishan (LPD) PLAN Yuncheng (Frigate) PLAN Chaohu (Supply) LOCATION: Atlantic (Returning Home; Touring Region) ·         (Feb 9) @ France; 18th Task Force visits Toulon, France for 5-days, will conduct tours and joint training, will visit Greece on Feb 13 (People's Daily) 19th ESCORT TASK FORCE PLAN Linyi (Frigate) PLAN Weifang (Frigate) PLAN Weishanhu (Supply) LOCATION: Indian Ocean (Anti-Piracy Patrols / Shipping Escorts) ·          NO UPDATES Other ·         NO UPDATES

FRANCE TASK FORCES   CDG Carrier Battle Group FS Charles de Gaulle (Carrier) ·         Air Wing FS Chevalier Paul (DDG) FS Meuse (Tanker) HMS Kent (Frigate) U/I Attack Submarine (SSN) LOCATION: Indian Ocean ·         NO UPDATES <CORYMBE Patrol> FS LV Lavalle (Frigate) FS Tonnere (Assault Ship) LOCATION: Gulf of Guinea, Atlantic Ocean ·         NO UPDATES Joan de Arc 2015 FS Aconit (Frigate) FS Diksmuide (Assault Ship) LOCATION: READY TO DEPLOY ·         (Feb 3-5) FS Diksmuide and frigate Aconit conduct SPARTAN training exercises, testing combat, disasters, air defense, missile attacks and rescue of nationals; Task Force is now ready to deploy (GOV.FR) ·         (Jan 9-29) French assault ship FS Diksmuide prepares to deploy for the next JOAN DE ARC 2015, conducts MEKO exercises, refueling, flight deck and well deck onloads and certs (GOV.FR)   Atlantic   FS Dumont d’Urville (LST) FS Germinal (Frigate) FS La Motte-Picquet (DDG) FS Latouche-Treville (DDG) FS Primauguet (DDG) FS Ventose (Frigate) ·         (Jan 30) @ Norway; FS Latouche-Treville and Primauguet participate in NATO Submarine Command exercises off Norway for 3-weeks with 15-warships from NATO countries GOV.FR) ·         (Jan 14 – Feb 13) @ Caribbean; FS Ventose conducts anti-drug patrol, searches suspicious fishing vessel off Venezuela and seizes large quantity of cash and cocaine; assists USCG to interdict cargo ship, seizing 1-ton of cocaine; and interdicted a go-fast, seizing bales of marijuana (GOV.FR) Med FS AV Cmdnt Ducuing (FFG) FS Dupuy de Lome (Intel) FS La Fayette (Frigate) ·         (Feb 11) @ Lebanon; FS La Fayatte, currently on patrol in East Med, conducts training with Lebanese armed forces and peacekeepers at Beirut (GOV.FR) Indian Ocean   FS Floreal (Frigate) FS Guepratte (Frigate) FS Jean Bart (Destroyer) FS Nivose (Frigate) ·         (Feb 5) @ Gulf of Aden; FS Guepratte performs MEDEVAC, rescuing an injured sailor aboard a Moldovan tug off Djibouti (GOV.FR) Pacific FS Prairial (Frigate) FS Vendemiaire (Frigate) NO UPDATES Other FS Mistral (Assault Ship) ·         (Feb 10) @ Toulon; French assault ship FS Mistral conducts amphibious exercises, landing several companies of Marines, Army and Foreign Legion on the beach of Dramont at Saint Raphael (GOV.FR) FS Normandy & Provence (FREMM Destroyer) ·         (Feb 13) New FREMM destroyer FS Normandy was sold and delivered to Egypt, changing the ship retirement cycles for FS Montcalm and Jean De Vienne to 2017 and 2018, FREMM destroyer FS Provence was also sold and will be delivered (GOV.FR)

RUSSIA Task Forces MED. TASK FORCE RFS Dubna (Tanker) RFS Ladny (Escort) RFS Saratov (LST) RFS Severomorsk (Destroyer) RFS Yamal (LST) RFS Yaroslav Mudry (Frigate) (3-5) U/I LSTs LOCATION: Mediterranean ·         (Feb 13) Russia deploys three ships from Black Sea Fleet (RFS Ladny, Saratob and Yamal) to the east Mediterranean Task Force rotation, which is currently commanded from the RFS Severomorsk (panorama.am) Other  RFS Pyotr Veliky (Cruiser) ·         (Feb 12) Russia and Venezuela plan to hold joint naval exercises, details for the exercises will be finalized in March and will include Russian cruiser RFS Pyotr Veliky (presstv.ir)

UNITED KINGDOM – ROYAL NAVY TASK FORCES HMS Ocean Task Force HMS Ocean (Assault Ship) LOCATION: <OST TRAINING> Atlantic Ocean ·         NO UPDATES Atlantic Patrol HMS Clyde (Patrol) HMS Dragon (Destroyer) HMS Protector (Ice Patrol) HMS Severn (Patrol) HMCS Athabaskan (Destroyer) RFA Argus (Hospital) LOCATION: Atlantic and Caribbean Sea ·         (Feb 11) @ Montserrat; HMS Severn conducts disaster relief exercises with Monserrat Disaster Management Coordination Agency (MOD.UK) Med Patrol HMS Enterprise (Survey) ·         NO UPDATES <SNMG-2> HMCS Fredericton (Frigate) ·         NO UPDATES Indian Ocean Patrol HMS Dauntless (Destroyer) HMS Kent (Frigate) HMAS Success (Supply) RFA Cardigan Bay (LSD) RFA Fort Austin (Supply)   ·         (Feb 9) @ Kuwait; HM Prince of Wales visits HMS Dauntless during port visit at Kuwait (MOD.UK) Other HMS Bulwark (LPD) ·         (Feb 9) HMS Bulwark welcomes it’s new captain aboard, preparing for OST training of SW coast as part of maintaining her high state of readiness as the nation’s current flagship (MOD.UK)

UNITED STATES NAVY Carrier Strike Groups USS Carl Vinson (CSG-1) USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) USS Bunker Hill (CG-52) USS Gridley (DDG-101) USS Sterett (DDG-104) USS Dewey (DDG-105) ·         Commander, CSG-1 ·         Commander, DESRON – 1 ·         Carrier Air Wing – 17 LOCATION: <IRAQ OPERATIONS> 5th Fleet, Arabian Gulf ·         (Feb 11) @ Gulf of Oman; USS Dewey concludes its participation in CTF-150 (CMF) USS Theodore Roosevelt   (TRCSG-12) USS T. Roosevelt (CVN-71) USS Normandy (CG-60) USS Farragut (DDG-99) USS Forrest Sherman (DDG-98) USS Winston Churchill (DDG-81) ·         Commander, CSG-12 ·         Commander, DESRON-2 ·         Carrier Air Wing – 1 LOCATION: <TRAINING> Atlantic @ Norfolk (2015 Deployment) ·         NO UPDATES     Amphibious Ready Groups   &   Command Ships 5th FLEET SEA BASE USS Ponce (AFSB[I]-15, Sea Base) LOCATION: Arabian Gulf (Forward – Deployed) ·         NO UPDATES USS BH Richard ARG USS BH Richard (LHD-6) USS Green Bay (LPD-20) ·         Commander, PHIBRON-11 ·         31st MEU LOCATION: East China Sea (Forward – Deployed) ·         NO UPDATES USS Essex ARG USS Essex (LHD-2) USS Anchorage (LPD-23) USS Rushmore (LSD-47) ·         15th MEU LOCATION: <TRAINING> Pacific @ San Diego (Spring, 2015) ·         NO UPDATES USS Iwo Jima ARG USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) USS New York (LPD-21) USS Fort McHenry (LSD-43) ·         24th MEU LOCATION: Indian Ocean (CENTCOM Deployment) ·         (Feb 10) @ Gulf of Aden; ARG is on stand-by of coast of Yemen in case it’s needed to evacuate US nationals during crisis (USNI) USS Makin Island ARG USS Makin Island (LHD-8) USS San Diego (LPD-22) USS Comstock (LSD-45) ·         Commander, PHIBRON-5 ·         11th MEU LOCATION: <RETURNING> 7th Fleet; Pacific ·         (Feb 10) @ Pacific; ARG returns to US 3rd Fleet AOR following patrols in WESTPAC and CENTCOM (USN) Other USS GHW Bush (Carrier) ·         (Feb 10) @ Atlantic; US carrier departs Norfolk for carrier qualifications at sea (USN) USS Laboon (Destroyer) ·         (Feb 13) @ Norfolk; USS Laboon deploys to 6th Fleet AOR to provide ballistic missile defense operations (USN)

OTHER REGIONAL POWERS / ORGANIZATIONS EU Naval Task Forces EUNAVFOR “OPERATION ATALANTA” (CTF-465) FGS Bavaria (Frigate) FGS Lubeck (Frigate) HNLMS Van Speijk (Frigate) HS Psara (Frigate) ITS Andrea Doria (Destroyer)[FLAG] SPS Rayo (Ocean Patrol Ship) TCG Gelibolu (Frigate) LOCATION: Indian Ocean ·         (Feb 11) @ Gulf of Aden; FGS Bavaria replaces FGS Lubeck; Lubeck is expected back at Germany by the end of February (marine.de) ·         (Feb 8) @ Oman; JS Harusame officers visit OPERATION ATALANTA flagship ITS Andrea Doria while off the coast of Oman (CMF) NATO Naval Task Forces OPERATION OCEAN SHIELD (CTF-508) TCG Buyukada (Corvette) LOCATION: Indian Ocean ·         (Feb 13) @ Arabian Sea; TCG Buyukada conducts training exercises with CMF ships JS Harusame and ROKS Dae Jo Yeong, taking on fuel from HMAS Success (NATO) NATO – SNMG-2 Commander, US Navy FS Marne (Tanker) FGS Spessart (Supply) HMCS Fredericton (Frigate) ITS Aliseo (Frigate) SPS Canarias (Frigate) SPS Patino (Supply) TCG Turgutreis (Frigate) USS Vicksburg (Cruiser) LOCATION: Mediterranean ·         NO UPDATES NATO – SNMG-2 (Unit-2) SPS Alm. Juan de Borbon (Frigate) LOCATION: Black Sea & Mediterranean Patrol ·         NO UPDATES UN CMF Task Force (CTF-150) (UNSC-1368, 1373) Commander, Royal Canadian Navy FS Guepratte (Frigate) HMAS Success (Supply) RFA Fort Austin (Supply) LOCATION: Indian Ocean ·         (Feb 5) @ Gulf of Aden; FS Guepratte performs MEDEVAC, rescuing an injured sailor aboard a Moldovan tug off Djibouti (GOV.FR)   CMF Task Force (CTF-151) Commander, Royal Thai Navy JS Harusame (Destroyer) ROKS Dae Jo Yeong (Destroyer) TCG Gemlik LOCATION: Gulf of Aden & Arabian Sea ·         (Feb 13) @ Arabian Sea; TCG Buyukada conducts training exercises with CMF ships JS Harusame and ROKS Dae Jo Yeong, taking on fuel from HMAS Success (NATO) ·         (Feb 9) @ Oman; JS Harusame officers met and discuss counter-piracy operations during port visit with INS Teg (Frigate) (CMF) ·         (Feb 8) @ Oman; JS Harusame officers visit OPERATION ATALANTA flagship ITS Andrea Doria while off the coast of Oman (CMF) ·         (Feb 8) @ Oman; JS Harusame visits local fishermen to discuss piracy and suspicious behaviors that may trigger a VBSS procedure (CMF) Other ITALY ITS Cavour (Carrier) ITS Luigi Durand de la Penne (DDG) ITS Mimbelli (DDG) ·         (Feb 12) @ Gulf of Taranto; ITS Mimbelli conducts joint training with Algerian amphibious units (DIFESA) ·         (Feb 11-12) @ Gulf of Taranto; Italian 2nd Naval Group Command, with the ITS Cavour, and commanded aboard the ITS L. Durand de la Penne. Conducts a wide ranged naval and amphibious exercise (DIFESA)

AIR-GROUND OPERATIONS   CHINA NO UPDATES ·         NO UPDATES FRANCE   Op. Sangaris: CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC ·         (Feb 6) @ Bambari; UNFICYP commander transfers command of the Bambari advanced operations base to MINUSCA, security operations continue to succeed and stabilize the country; currently 2,000-French troops and 8,500-MINUSCA troops are deployed (GOV.FR)   Op. Chammal: IRAQ ·         NO UPDATES Op. BAL: MALI-NIGER-CHAD ·         (Feb 1) 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment replaces 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment, takes command of SAHEL operations at Chad, commanding also the 1st Hussar Parachute Regiment, 35th Parachute Artillery Regiment (Mortar Detachment), 3rd Hussar Regiment (Liaison & Support) and AF helicopters; 2nd REP will patrol Northern Niger (Madama) and refueling operations; Currently 3,000-troops are deployed (GOV.FR) RUSSIA UKRAINE ·         (Feb 15) In spite of recent fighting, cease-fire signed Feb 12 in Minsk for Donetsk and Luhansk is holding UNITED KINGDOM NO UPDATES ·         NO UPDATES   UNITED STATES CENTCOM: AFGHANISTAN ·         (Feb 13) As US combat missions end, US Special Forces and Afghan Army increase nights raids against Taliban and Al Qaeda camps and militants (FOX) EUCOM: GERMANY ·         (Feb 11) USAF deploys (12) A-10 “Warthog” to Spangdahlem, Germany as part of Theater Security Package (SPUTNIK)