Boatfag Report
News Summaries:
BALTOPS-2020 NATO Baltic exercises begin next week
https://navalnews.net/baltops-2020-exercise-to-commence-next-week/
USS Russell transits Taiwan Strait as ChiCom navy carrier Shandong does systems trials in the Yellow Sea
https://news.usni.org/2020/06/04/uss-russell-transits-taiwan-strait
China intends to claim South China Sea islands by building air bases and growing baby cabbage for sustainment (this is a really good overview of the whole area)
https://news.usni.org/2020/06/03/new-air-bases-baby-cabbage-key-to-chinese-long-term-claims-on-south-china-sea
CNO Gilday video message to the Navy on the death of George Floyd
https://news.usni.org/2020/06/03/video-cno-gilday-message-on-death-of-george-floyd-national-unrest
USMC Commandant criticized by former SecNav over changing mission focus of the Marine Corps (worth the read, more Cabal resistance to focusing on the China threat)
https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2020/06/01/in-his-fight-to-change-the-corps-americas-top-marine-takes-friendly-fire/
US & British Barents Sea exercises continuing (good strategic discussion on why the Arctic is more important as northern route sea lanes become more accessible)
https://www.defencetalk.com/us-british-arctic-exercise-shows-u-s-concern-for-region-75459/
Two-thirds of US fishing trawler test positive for WuFlu (more scamdemic? We gonna spread it thru fish now?)
https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/two-thirds-of-factory-trawler-s-crew-catch-covid-19
12 ships doing donuts in the ocean a thousand miles from their position, more AIS tracking fuckery going on
https://www.maritime-executive.com/editorials/mystery-12-ships-ais-positions-thousands-of-miles-off-and-circling
On The Scope:
Yacht Tracking SitRep
The yachts AZZAM, TOPAZ and M/Y YAS are all off scope. AZZAM slipped out of the yacht club Port Vell in Barcelona, Spain a week ago and the other two have not been on AIS for at least a half a year. They are owned by princes in the Al Nayhan family, UAE royalty, and are much harder to track than others. No idea why we can’t get them, but they stay off-scope. Situation has a pedo-ish vibe to it. M/Y YAS looks like a sea-going pimpmobile, frankly.
Queen Margarethe of Denmark’s DANNEBROG is tied up in Frederikshavn, Denmark. Geffen’s yacht RISING SUN is currently in St. Thomas. NZ bigwig Graeme Hart’s ULYSSES is off the SW coast of the Greek island of Kriti in the Med, and looks like she is heading into the Ionian Sea somewhere (1st cap). Most of the other yachts look like they’re at the same locations they were a few weeks ago.
Asian Western Pacific
In the South China Sea, it looks like one ChiCom patrol vessel, ZHONGGUOHAIJING, as well as a couple of unidentified Chin vessels, are sitting on top of Scarborough Shoal. The Philippines shouldn’t be too happy about that, but the Flips won’t make much noise per the article above because they’re getting most of their WuFlu medical supplies from (who else?) the Chins.
Nothing detected in the Taiwan Strait, Sea of Japan or around the Korean Peninsula, but that’s expected.
Indian Ocean and Petroleum Gulf
Indian Warships are patrolling the Gulf of Aden north of the Somali Horn of Africa, as well as in the Maldives and the Strait of Hormuz. Same Dutch warship as two weeks ago is also in Hormuz. Modi’s guys doing their thing. Nothing out of pattern noted.
GIUK Gap, North Sea and Northern Russian Coast
Nothing on the USN vessels in the Barents. However, we can nix HMS Trent from the party. Caught her in home waters on the western Scotland coast. (Cap incl)
Wow holy crap, the Skagerrak is crowded with warships probably heading into the Baltic for BALTOPS-2020. Cap shows, count ‘em, 5 NATO warships shown with red arrows, and a rare catch of a NATO sub in the white circle. A few more warships gathering in the Baltic, no cap on those. Vlad’s probably feeling a little anxious.
Mediterranean and Black Seas
Aside from the Ulysses reported above, no noteworthy traffic except USNS Bittin westbound for Rota. (Cap incl)
Nothing further to report.