Category Archives: 5th Fleet

“USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: Oct. 30, 2023” / “U.S. Naval Forces in Middle East Interdict $29 Million in Illegal Drugs”

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Total Battle Force Deployed Underway
291
(USS 232, USNS 59)		 107
(USS 74, USNS 33)		 85
(57 Deployed, 28 Local)

The US Naval Institute’s news service’s latest Fleet and Marine Tracker only mentions two Coast Guard Units, The USCGC Healy and Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA). They are respectively reported in the Western Atlantic and the Persian Gulf. Healy is pictured stopped in Reykjavík, Iceland on Oct. 24, 2023. From there, looks like she headed SW. No info on where she will stop next. They do have a photo from a drug bust by PATFORSWA cutter Charles Moulthrope (WPC 1141) on Oct. 12 that I have not seen reported elsewhere. I have included the news release I found as a result below.

The usual data indicating how many Navy units are operating under the various Fleet Commanders was not included, so we don’t know how many Navy ships are operating under 4th fleet.

It does look like the Navy is busier than usual with five carrier strike groups underway including four deployed, two in the Med and two in the Pacific.

U.S. Naval Forces in Middle East Interdict $29 Million in Illegal Drugs

13 October 2022

From U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs

MANAMA, Bahrain – A U.S. Coast Guard fast response cutter seized an estimated $29 million worth of illicit narcotics from a fishing vessel while patrolling the Gulf of Oman, Oct. 12, two weeks after another sizable interdiction.

USCGC Charles Moulthrope (WPC 1141) confiscated 2,980 kilograms of opium and 400 kilograms of methamphetamines as the fishing vessel transited international waters. The Coast Guard cutter was operating in support of Combined Task Force 150, which oversees maritime security operations for Combined Maritime Forces in the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman and Gulf of Aden.

“A success like this is a team effort. I am proud of each and every member of our crew,” said Lt. Cmdr. Stephen Hills, Charles Moulthrope’s commanding officer. “We remain committed to countering the flow of illegal contraband and promoting security and stability across the region.”

Hills’ crew previously interdicted another fishing vessel Sept. 27 while patrolling the Gulf of Oman, which led to the seizure of $85 million worth of illegal drugs.

Charles Moulthrope arrived in the Middle East in May and operates from the U.S. Navy base in Bahrain where U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces are headquartered.

“First on CNN: US Navy warship near Yemen intercepts multiple missiles, US officials say”

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USS Carney (DDG-64

CNN repoorts (one of several such reports):

Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder confirmed that the USS Carney shot down three land attack missiles as well as several drones that were launched by Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen.

Presumably this refers to land based anti-ship cruise missiles.

USS Carney (DDG-64) is a Flight I Burke class guided missile destroyer. In 2016 Carney completed an upgrade with a SeaRAM rolling airframe missile launcher replacing her after Phalanx CIWS.

Reportedly Carney brought down three cruise missiles and 8 drones. Other reporting suggests Carney was in company with USS Bataan (LHD-5) which may have been the intended target.

This incident occurred in the Red Sea. PATFORSWA cutters also operate in this area.

UPDATE:

Military Times reports,

“We cannot say for certain what these missiles and drones were targeting, but they were launched from Yemen heading north along the Red Sea, potentially towards targets in Israel,” Ryder said in a Pentagon briefing. A U.S. official said they do not believe the missiles were aimed at the ship. That official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations that had not yet been announced.

Israeli Sa’ar 6 Corvette Conducts Shore Bombardment

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The C-Dome air defense system mounted on Sa’ar 6 corvette includes a 40-round canister located at the front deck and loaded with vertically-launched Tamir surface-to-air missiles for 360-degree coverage. (Picture source NavalAnalyses.com)

Naval Technology reports that Israel had employed at least one newly commissioned Sa’ar 6 corvette to conduct shore bombardment with its 76mm gun.  We discussed this class earlier here, “Perhaps the Most Well Armed Cutter Sized Corvette in the World.”

Also found this video, which looks more like it was done by a 25mm (except the last 22 seconds), with some secondary explosions.

“Israel Navy takes out Hamas terrorists with grenades and machine guns after sinking boat” –Video

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Felt I had to pass along this video, taken from what looks a lot like a Response Boat, Small. The accompanying narrative,

“An Israeli Navy patrol eliminates Hamas terrorists whose boat has been destroyed in this footage from the October 7 attacks. Soldiers from the Snapir harbour security unit throw grenades and open fire at Hamas fighters as they swim towards Zikim beach. Dvora class patrol boats had destroyed the terrorists’ inflatable boats. Several Hamas fighters made it to shore at Zikim and attacked a military training base and a Kibbutz. More than 1,000 Israelis died in the attacks.”

I would point out that following the Battle of the Bismarck Sea in March 1943, when US Army Air Corps and Allied aircraft sank eight loaded Japanese transports and four of their escorting destroyers, US Navy PT boats had a similar unpleasant task, killing the survivors in the water, rafts, and lifeboats so that they could not make it to Lae, a nearby island and their original intended destination, and continue the fight.

During the Vietnam War concussion grenades were also commonly used against combat swimmers.

There was also this video, apparently taken through the sighting system of a Remote Weapon Station, probably very similar to the Mk38 Mod2/3. This seems to be related to the incident in the video above.

The accompanying Narrative,

“On July 8, five Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel from the sea near Zikim in order to carry out an attack. The IDF neutralized the terrorists through a combined effort of the ground, air and naval forces. This footage shows the Israel Navy targeting one of the terrorists on the beach.”

“Ukraine hits Russian Buyan cruise missile carrier and Pavel Derzhavin vessel with drones” –Ukrainska Pravda

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©Sea Baby dron. screenshot.
© Ukrainska Pravda

Ukrainska Pravda reports,

The Security Service of Ukraine, together with the Ukrainian Navy, has attacked the Buyan cruise missile carrier and the ship Pavel Derzhavin using experimental weapons on uncrewed surface vessels…both vessels were hit by Sea Baby drones with experimental weapons.

The Buyan cruise missile carrier or Buyan-M (that is the name of the class, not a specific ship) is a small, 949 ton full load, 75 meter (246′) corvette armed with up to eight cruise missiles similar in capability to the American Tomahawk.

Buyan-M class corvette, Volgodonsk in Astrakhan. Author Anton Blinov, via Wikipedia.

Pavel Derzhavin is a Project 22160 class patrol ship, a bit bigger than the Buyan-M at 94 meters (308 ft) in length, but not as heavily armed.

Russian Project 22160 Patrol Ship Dmitriy Rogachyov in Sevastopol, 12 April 2019. Photo from Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation.

I found the reference to “Sea Baby drones with experimental weapons” interesting, not that the Sea Baby drone was experimental, so I presume the warhead was experimental. Various reports seem to indicate the explosion was extremely loud and created a great deal of smoke. This could have been the result of secondary explosions.

It is not clear if the two ships were sunk.

Information about the source here.

“CTF 150, U.S. Coast Guard Seize $25 Million in Illegal Drugs” –NAVCENT

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A U.S. Navy L3 Harris Arabian Fox MAST-13 drone boat and the U.S. Coast Guard cutters USCGC John Scheuerman and USCGC Charles Moulthrope transit the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. (Information Systems Technician 1st Class Vincent Aguirre/U.S. Coast Guard)

Below is a news release by U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs, October 11, 2023.

MANAMA, Bahrain —

The U.S. Coast Guard Sentinel-class fast response cutter USCGC John Scheuerman (WPC 1146) seized about $25 million worth of illegal drugs from a stateless vessel while operating in the international waters of the Gulf of Oman, Oct. 3.

The cutter, working under the command of Combined Task Force (CTF) 150, seized 360 kilograms of methamphetamines, 107 kilograms of heroin and 1,961 kilograms of hashish from the vessel during an interdiction operation.

This event marks the second time in a month that CTF 150 has interdicted illicit narcotics at sea. Last month, the Royal Navy frigate HMS Lancaster (F229) seized more than 450 kilograms, or approximately $9.5 million, of illegal drugs including heroin and hashish during a CTF 150 operation in the Arabian Sea.

“This new seizure, the second since the French Navy took command of CTF 150 last July, again shows the commitment of Combined Maritime Forces working together to enhance maritime security in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean,” said French Navy Capt. Yannick Bossu, commander of CTF 150.

CTF 150 is one of five task forces under Combined Maritime Forces, the largest multinational naval partnership in the world. CTF 150 focuses on maritime security operations outside the Arabian Gulf.

Since 2021, Combined Maritime Forces has seized more than $1 billion in illegal drugs while patrolling waters across the Middle East.

The 38-nation naval partnership upholds the international rules-based order by promoting security and stability across 3.2 million square miles of water encompassing some of the world’s most important shipping lanes.

The Photo is Wrong but “US Naval Ship Fires Warning Shots at Iranian Boats: A Dangerous Encounter in the Strait of Hormuz” –BNN

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US Naval Ship Fires Warning Shots at Iranian Boats: A Dangerous Encounter in the Strait of Hormuz

BNN reports,

“On Monday…According to reports, the Iranian boats approached the U.S. ship at a high speed, coming within 300 yards before the warning shots were fired. This incident was described by the former commander of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet as ‘startling’ and ‘incredibly dangerous.’”

MSN passed the story along, but while I suspect the US ship may have been a Coast Guard cutter, since it is described as a “US naval ship” rather than a US Navy ship, the photo accompanying the story (above) is from an April 2, 2021, incident. The cutter in the photo is USCGC Monomoy (WPB-1326), decommissioned in March 2022. I looked for a news release from 5th Fleet but found none.

Similar incidents are not that unusual:

“USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: Oct. 10, 2023” –USNI

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A U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy (WAGB 20) crew member looks at Tromsø, Norway as the cutter departs Tromsø, Oct. 5, 2023. U.S. Coast Guard Photo

The US Naval Institute’s Fleet and Marine Tracker for 10 October again reports only two Navy ships operating with 4th Fleet.

I find their statistical information interesting. For instance, 23.1% of the Navy’s ships are underway and 33.1% are deployed. The fleet includes both regular Navy (USS) and Military Sealift Command (USNS) ships. 27.7% of regular Navy ships are deployed, while 54.2% of MSC ships are deployed. 33% of the fleet deployed are MSC even though MSC is only 20.3% of the total fleet. There is no USS/USNS breakdown for ships underway, but I would bet the MSC ships are disproportionately more likely to be underway than the regular Navy ships so probably less than 23% of regular Navy commissioned ships are underway. These numbers are pretty typical.

I would really like to see some comparable figures for US Coast Guard ships. I think we would look pretty good.

We frequently hear that the US Navy ships are overworked, and I would not say that they are not, but I don’t think it is because they are underway too much. Other things must be the problem.

USCGC Munro is wrapping up her 7th Fleet deployment, stopping in Honolulu before returning to homeport, Alameda, CA. Icebreaker USCGC Healy (WAGB-20) is in Copenhagen, a long way from her Seattle homeport.

“Inside the U.S. Navy’s Cutting-Edge Drone Boat Tech”–WSJ

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A reader brought the video above to my attention, recognizing the significant Coast Guard participation in the program. 

Below I have reproduced the text that accompanied the video on YouTube. 

Drone boats appear to be on the cusp of a revolution. The U.S. Navy’s Task Force 59 has been pairing cutting-edge unmanned surface vehicles with artificial intelligence to expand the military’s eyes and ears in the Middle East. Now, similar efforts will be rolled out in the Pacific and Central and South America. The military’s objective is to leverage machine learning to detect and anticipate threats before they occur. Experts say the U.S. is currently the leader in this field, but competitors like China and Russia are racing to catch up. I traveled to Manama, Bahrain to see the high-tech drones in action and speak to officials about how they’re preparing for a future with robots in the world’s waters. 0:00 A rare look at the U.S. Navy’s drone boat operation 0:30 Meet the Navy’s Task Force 59 2:14 Drone boat capabilities 4:05 How artificial intelligence is layered with the drone boats 5:11 The global race to advance unmanned marine vehicles 7:23 What’s next for the U.S. military? Check out more from my exclusive interview with Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Naval forces in the Middle East, about unmanned vessels and the Navy’s future fleet:    • Drone Boats, AI and the Future of Mar…   I’m Shelby Holliday, a reporter for WSJ. Subscribe to join me as I explain some of today’s most pressing geopolitical events, from superpower showdowns and conflicts to supply chain snarls and natural resource struggles.

The link embedded above was to this video. 

Thanks to David for bringing this to my attention.

“U.S. 5th Fleet Enhances Middle East Maritime Security with Unmanned Capabilities” –NAVCENT

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GULF OF OMAN, An Aerovel Flexrotor unmanned aerial vehicle launches from the deck of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74) in the Gulf of Oman, in an image released Oct. 6. US Navy photo.

Below is a 6 October news release from U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs. It notes Coast Guardsmen were involved, presumably PATFORSWA, but no details of how. All the photo here accompanied the release.

MANAMA, Bahrain —

Last month, naval forces in the Middle East region successfully integrated unmanned platforms with traditionally crewed ships and aircraft to conduct enhanced maritime security operations in the waters surrounding the Arabian Peninsula.

Seven task forces falling under U.S. 5th Fleet integrated 12 different unmanned platforms with manned ships for “manned-unmanned teaming” operations, tracking Iranian Navy and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) ships and small boats over several days during routine patrols in and around the Strait of Hormuz.

This operation bolstered presence in and around a critical chokepoint that in recent months has seen Iran unlawfully seize internationally flagged merchant ships.

Unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were involved in the operation.

“We have been operating UAVs and UUVs in the region for years,” said Capt. Joe Baggett, Director of Maritime Operations for U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and U.S. 5th Fleet. “Adding our new USVs, and then integrating all of these platforms into fleet operations, is how we expect to fly and sail well into the future.”

Sailors, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, ships and aircraft from Task Force 51/5 (Amphibious/Marine), Task Force 52 (Mine Countermeasures), Task Force 53 (Logistics), Task Force 55 (Surface Warfare), Task Force 56 (Expeditionary), Task Force 57 (Patrol/Reconnaissance) and Task Force 59 (Unmanned/Artificial Intelligence) conducted the operations.

“The integration of new, multidomain unmanned platforms into routine fleet operations provides more ‘eyes on the water,’ enhancing maritime domain awareness and increasing deterrence in the region,” said Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and U.S. 5th Fleet.

Cooper added that collectively, these platforms support the safe navigation and free flow of commerce through vital regional chokepoints, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz.

“This enhanced maritime security serves as a deterrent against malign activity and strengthens regional stability, which is good for everybody,” he said.

U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet’s area of operations encompasses about 2.5 million square miles of water area and includes the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean. This expanse, comprising 21 nations, includes three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and the Strait of Bab al Mandeb.

STRAIT OF HORMUZ (Oct. 6, 2023) An undated still image released on Oct. 6 from video taken by an Arabian Fox MAST-13 unmanned surface vessel of two Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy patrol speedboats in the Strait of Hormuz.

STRAIT OF HORMUZ (Oct. 6, 2023) An undated still image released on Oct. 6 from video taken by an Arabian Fox MAST-13 of an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy patrol speedboat in the Strait of Hormuz.

STRAIT OF HORMUZ (Oct. 6, 2023) An undated still image released on Oct. 6 from video taken by an Arabian Fox MAST-13 unmanned surface vessel of an Iranian Navy AB-212 helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz.

STRAIT OF HORMUZ (Oct. 6, 2023) A undated still image released on Oct. 6 from video taken by a MARTAC T-38 Devil Ray unmanned surface vessel of an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy warship in the Strait of Hormuz.

STRAIT OF HORMUZ (Oct. 6, 2023) An undated still image released on Oct. 6 from video of an Iranian Navy frigate taken by an Aerovel Flexrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (AAV) in the Strait of Hormuz.(U.S. Navy photo)

STRAIT OF HORMUZ (Oct. 6, 2023) An undated still image released on Oct. 6 from video taken by an Arabian Fox MAST-13 unmanned surface vessel of an Iranian unmanned aerial vehicle in the Strait of Hormuz.