Boatfag Report
News Summaries:
Russkies are providing a naval escort for their pipeline laying ships for the NORD-2 Baltic pipeline
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2020/07/russian-navy-warships-are-escorting-nord-stream-2-pipeline-vessels-in-bay-of-biscay/
>This includes a Udaloy class destroyer, so they’re worried about undersea mischief. Kek!
US helps Ukraine improve its navy to prevent future embarrassing confrontations with the Russkies
https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2020/07/02/after-the-kerch-strait-confrontation-the-us-moves-to-beef-up-ukraines-maritime-forces/
NATO is conducting Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Exercise Dynamic Mongoose around Iceland
https://news.usni.org/2020/06/30/nato-anti-submarine-exercise-dynamic-mongoose-kicks-off-with-u-s-destroyer-ssn
USN cans Program Manager for the USS Ford for “performance over time” (delays & shit that doesn’t work)
https://news.usni.org/2020/07/02/navy-removes-ford-carrier-program-manager-citing-performance-over-time
US 4th Fleet (Carribean) and USCG scoring big on dope war, $1B in seizures so far
https://news.usni.org/2020/07/02/destroyers-continue-to-prowl-4th-fleet-as-coast-guard-navy-rack-up-1b-in-drug-seizures
Something for the Planefags! 160th SOAR (NightStalkers) caught working recently at Joint Base Fort Lewis/McChord
https://sputniknews.com/military/202007021079779324-locals-spot-elite-night-stalkers-helicopter-unit-practicing-black-ops-in-oregon/
NSA dissented from the Russian bounty intel (this includes info from Catherine Herridge reporting)
https://sputniknews.com/military/202007021079776088-nsa-taliban-bounty-dissent/
China, China, China! (Just dropping the main link there are number of articles concerning China getting rambunctious in the South China Sea and beefing up on the Indian border)
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military
>For Keks, the ChiComs are starting up a unit with MMA fighters called the Tibetan Mastiffs! Something tells me the Punjab Kidz mighta got the better of the Chins in their recent game of toss-me-off-the-mountain…
On The Scope:
Yacht Tracking SitRep
Still nada on yachts AZZAM, TOPAZ and M/Y YAS. These are some elusive boats. They’re worse than Victor III’s. Most of the other yachts being tracked are in the same locations as we found them a month ago. ULYSSES (NZ bigwig Graeme Hart’s boat) appears to be anchored at the island of Drusinovic, about 15 nm SE of Split, Croatia. That’s creepy.
South China Sea
Pic#1 Related - Not a whole lot to see on the scope, but there is certainly more civilian traffic around the Paracels than I expected. My working hypothesis is that a number of the ships are actually in support of the ChiCom exercises. Obviously, they feel comfortable there. To the southeast a good ways (not in the pic), there is a big open area around the Spratleys. Will keep the SCS OPAREA under surveillance.
Pic#2 Related - Locations of the US Carriers shown. Keep in mind that AMERICA and BATAAN are an amphibious assault ships; they aren’t catapult-launching nuclear carriers, but they can dish out a large helping of hate in a pinch. The three CVN’s closest to the SCS OPAREA are ROOSEVELT, NIMITZ and REAGAN. EISENHOWER is in the IO off the Petroleum Gulf, just to let Iran know we still care.
Middle East
No discernable changes in typical traffic. For keks, the last Iranian tanker from a month ago, the CLAVEL, is transiting back south through the Suez Canal. I’m sure those pious dudes didn’t bother to visit any cathouses in Port Said when they passed by.
US Naval Ports (East and West Coast US, plus Pearl Harbor)
Very quiet. From the looks of things, the traffic that was headed outbound has departed, and the guys who are just doing workups are in port for a long weekend. It’s the 4th, so that makes total sense.
The Med
Typical traffic.
East Coast (Boston area)
Another BF has been watching suspicious cable laying ops in that area, and there has also been a track seen leaving (days old now) of the sailing yacht PUFFY. That’s owned by a photographer who is close to Ray Chandler…That boat departed from Newport RI harbor, and low and behold!, Les Wexner’s yacht LIMITLESS comes in…
We’ll be keeping our eyes open on that, too. (BZ, Fellow Boatfags!)
Caribbean
Typical traffic.
Nothing further to report at this time.