Six Navy Ships in 4th Fleet

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USCGC Stratton (WMSL-752), left, and the U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell (DDG-85) maneuver in formation during Talisman Sabre 2019 on July 11, 2019. US Navy Photo

Having watched the US Naval Institute News’ Fleet and Marine Tracker for some time, I am a bit surprised to see six ship assigned to Fourth Fleet, inspite of the on going COVID-19 problem. Six ships is only 2% of the Navy’s 296 “battleforce” ships (Note, the 3 Mayport based Cyclone class patrol craft that sometimes assist in drug enforcement are not counted among the 296), but it is far more than we typically see in the area. Unfortunately the USNI site gives us no information about what type ships are deployed or where they are. (Pacific or Caribbean?) 

This is the first solid evidence I have seen that the Navy is actually going to carry through on their stated intention to surge assets for drug enforcement. There were four ships reported in the area on April 13, also an unusually high number. There were six reported on April 6. March 30, there were two. March 23 there was only one. Prior to that it was ususally one ship, on rare occasions two, sometimes none. 

Supposedly additional aircraft and other assets are also being assigned to support the ships.

114 thoughts on “Six Navy Ships in 4th Fleet”

  12. Again only two Navy ships in 4th Fleet AOR. Kind of expected we would see something like this. Big splash when they finally “surged” six ships (because escorts became available when a carrier due to deploy was broke), but now we seldom see more than two.

    https://news.usni.org/2021/03/29/usni-news-fleet-and-marine-tracker-march-29-2021?utm_source=USNI+News&utm_campaign=64ccbcfabf-USNI_NEWS_DAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0dd4a1450b-64ccbcfabf-230448833&mc_cid=64ccbcfabf&mc_eid=e873a959e6

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  18. I know this is getting routine, but again, two Navy vessels operating under 4th Fleet.

    But there is some other interesting news in this weeks Fleet Tracker. Both a Carrier Battle Group (in the Gulf of Alaska) and an Amphibious Ready Group (in the Aleutians) are participating in operation Northern Edge 2021.

    They also talk about what USCGC Hamilton and the two Webber class are doing in the Med and Black Sea.

    https://news.usni.org/2021/05/03/usni-news-fleet-and-marine-tracker-may-3-2021#more-85564

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  19. Again only two Navy ships in 4th Fleet, but there was other interesting info in this week’s Fleet and Marine tracker. https://news.usni.org/2021/05/17/usni-news-fleet-and-marine-tracker-may-17-2021#more-85934

    Info on Navy participation in Exercise Northern Edge, still only in the Gulf of Alaska.

    Noted that,

    “The Coast Guard Sentinel-class fast response cutters USCGC Charles Moulthrope (WPC-1141) and USCGC Robert Goldman (WPC-1142) transited the Suez Canal on May 7 and are operating in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations….They conducted a transit exercise on May 13 in the Red Sea with the Egyptian Navy frigate Taba and USS Mahan (DDG-72), reported Egypt Today.”

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  21. Still only two Navy ships in 4th Fleet.
    https://news.usni.org/2021/06/03/usni-news-fleet-and-marine-tracker-june-3-2021
    They did report,

    “The Legend-class national security cutter USCGC Hamilton (WMSL-753) will return to Charleston, S.C., tomorrow after a three-month mission to U.S. 6th Fleet.

    “After leaving the East Coast on Feb. 28, “Hamilton stopped in Puerto Rico and then headed toward Rota, Spain, with two Sentinel-class fast response cutters, USCGC Charles Moulthrope (WPC-1141) and USCGC Robert Goldman (WPC-1142) in the Trans-Atlantic leg of the fast response cutters’ 9,000-mile voyage to homeport in Bahrain and service at Patrol Forces Southwest Asia,” the Coast Guard said in a release. “Hamilton entered the Mediterranean Sea on April 15 and the Black Sea on April 27 to support NATO Allies and partners. Hamilton was the first U.S. Coast Guard cutter to visit the Black Sea since 2008. The last U.S. Coast Guard cutter in the Black Sea was USCGC Dallas (WHEC-716) and sailed to the Black Sea twice, once in 2008 and 1995.”

    “After departing the Black Sea, Hamilton made port calls in Malta and Spain before heading across the Atlantic.”

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  31. Currently four Navy ships attached to 4th Fleet, but this has more to do with Haiti’s earth quake than with drug enforcement. Probably fewer ships doing drug enforcement than usual.
    https://news.usni.org/2021/08/30/usni-news-fleet-and-marine-tracker-aug-30-2021?utm_source=USNI+News&utm_campaign=29ea2c5de0-USNI_NEWS_DAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0dd4a1450b-29ea2c5de0-230448833&mc_cid=29ea2c5de0&mc_eid=e873a959e6

    Four Coast Guard cutters there as well.

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  33. Navy ships are involved in the UNITAS 2021 exercise being hosted by Peru.
    https://www.southcom.mil/MEDIA/NEWS-ARTICLES/Article/2791183/unitas-lxii-opening-ceremony-takes-place-in-lima/
    Coast Guard participation is limited to LEDET.
    “Participating U.S. forces this year include the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89), the amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26), the Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Columbia (SSN 771), the “Scorpions” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 49, the “Golden Eagles” of Patrol Squadron (VP) 9, Special Boat Team (SBT) 22, Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) 2, U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area Tactical Law Enforcement Team (TACLET), Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 40, Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 7, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South (MARFORSOUTH), and U.S. 4th Fleet.”

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  34. The latest USNI Fleet and Marine Tracker: Oct. 14, 2021, has changed its format and no longer lists numbers of ships attached to which fleet, so there is no information on how many are operating under 4th Fleet.
    https://news.usni.org/2021/10/14/usni-news-fleet-and-marine-tracker-oct-14-2021?utm_source=USNI+News&utm_campaign=13bce3be29-USNI_NEWS_DAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0dd4a1450b-13bce3be29-230448833&mc_cid=13bce3be29&mc_eid=e873a959e6

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  40. For the last two reports, there have been three Navy ships in 4th Fleet rather than the two that has become the norm. We can’t assume they are all doing drug enforcement. https://news.usni.org/2022/04/18/usni-news-fleet-and-marine-tracker-april-18-2022

    Percentage of ships deployed (38%) and underway (27%) are up from the norms of about a year ago (one third and one quarter) but not radically so.

    The Coast Guard standard which we don’t always meet, but also frequently exceed, it 185 days away from homeport (51%).

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