Trouble brewing in the Black Sea?

MARINE EXPEDITIONARY UNIT TRANSITING DARDANELLES TO BLACK SEA. CRIMEA?

Hal Turner,

6 January, 2019

Right now, as this story is published, the USS Fort McHenry and embarked elements of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) have begun northbound transit of the Dardanelles Strait, enroute to the Black Sea.

That's 2200 U.S. Marines and an incredible variety of war fighting / invasion equipment.

This is precisely the type of military unit one would send if they intended a lightning military strike to take Crimea back from Russia and give it to Ukraine.

A Marine expeditionary unit (MEU, pronounced "Mew"),  is the smallest Marine air-ground task force (MAGTF) in the United States Fleet Marine Force. Each MEU is an expeditionary quick reaction force, deployed and ready for immediate response to any crisis, whether it be natural disaster or combat missions.

A Marine expeditionary unit is normally composed of: a reinforced Marine infantry battalion (designated as a Battalion Landing Team) as the ground combat element, a composite medium tilt-rotor squadron forms the aviation combat element, a combat logistics battalion provides the logistics combat element, and a company-size command element serves as the MEU headquarters group.

Troop strength is about 2,200 and usually commanded by a colonel, and is deployed from amphibious assault ships.

Currently, a Marine expeditionary unit embarks Marines and equipment onto the amphibious warfare ships of an Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) which also includes escort ships and submarines to protect them from air, surface, and submarine threats.

For further protection and strong air support, such an ESG is often deployed along with one or more carrier battle groups.

The MEU is unique in that its air and ground combat elements are combined with a logistics combat element under one commander; other services do not unite the command of air and ground forces until much higher command levels.

When the United States Army integrates with Air Force assets, it typically is at the theater or corps level, with a general commanding, while at the division level it will integrate with Army aviation, which can be organized as organic at the battalion level.

The MEU's ground combat element also combines artillery, light armor and tanks at a much lower level than was common in the Army until the development of the brigade combat team early in the War on Terror, with a similar concept, the combat command, being utilized in World War II.

This air-ground task force concept is designed to thoroughly exploit the combat power inherent in air and ground assets by closely integrating them into a single force. The MEU brings all the supplies and logistical support it needs to sustain itself for quick mission accomplishment or to pave the way for any follow-up forces. This self-sustainment allows more flexibility in disposition and operations of forces, and allows the MEU to initiate operations sooner and let support catch up later, without having to wait for external logistical support to begin a mission. Deployments on U.S. Navy amphibious assault ships allows MEUs to sea base around the globe, ready for deployment at short notice.

A typical MEU has approximately 2,200 Marines and sailors. It is equipped with:

A UH-1N from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit flies past an AH-1W on the flight deck of USS Kearsarge

Qty	Nomenclature	Element
4	M1A1 main battle tank	ground
7 to 16	Light Armored Vehicle	ground
15	Assault Amphibious Vehicle	ground
6	155mm howitzer: M777	ground
8	M252 81mm mortar	ground
8	BGM-71 Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missile weapon system	ground
8	FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missile	ground
4 to 6	AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters	aviation
3	UH-1Y Venom light utility helicopters	aviation
12	MV-22A Osprey medium-lift tiltrotor aircraft	aviation
4	CH-53E Super Stallion heavy-lift transport helicopters	aviation
6	AV-8B Harrier V/STOL light-attack airplanes	aviation
2	KC-130 Hercules aerial re-fueler/transport airplanes Note: usually maintained in the continental United States	aviation
2	Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit	logistics
1	LMT 3000 water purification unit	logistics
4	Tractor, Rubber Tire, Articulated Steering	logistics
2	TX51-19M Rough Terrain Forklift	logistics
3	D7 bulldozer	logistics
1	Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement dump truck	logistics
4	Mk48 Logistics Vehicle System	logistics
7	500 gallon water containers	multiple
63	Humvee	multiple
30	Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement trucks	multiple
5	Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack	aviation

 

Many types of equipment are, or will soon, undergo a transitory phase as they are replaced. Some examples include the Marine Personnel Carrier replacing the LAV-25, the F-35 Lightning II replacing the AV-8B Harrier, and the CH-53K Super Stallion replacing the CH-53E.

 

The 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (22nd MEU) is one of seven Marine Expeditionary Units currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. It is a Marine Air Ground Task Force with a strength of about 2,200 personnel. They are currently based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and fall under the command of the II Marine Expeditionary Force. It is the most decorated of the Marine Corps' seven MEUs.

As shown on the map below, the Dardanelles Strait is the first of two such strategic waterways needing to be traveled to get to the Black Sea.  The second of the two waterways is the Bosphorus Strait which passes through Istanbul.

Much was made prior to Christmas of Ukraine positioning thousands of troops and tanks near Donetsk.  At the time, fears were that Ukraine intended to take the breakaway province and return it by force to Ukrainian control.

NOW, however, it may be that the total buildup of Ukraine forces near Donetsk was to cut-off any Russian reinforcements heading to Crimea, so as to allow CRIMEA TO BE TAKEN BACK.

This is an incredible development in world events and does not bode well for peace.  At all.  

UPDATE 1:42 PM EST --

Sources are now telling me the President will address the nation Wednesday night at 9:00 PM eastern time.   RIGHT NOW we are being told it is to declare a national emergency at the southern border, and use the military to close it or build a wall.  HOWEVER, it could very well be to tell the American people that we are now engaging in combat with Russia in Crimea.  Stay tuned.

Military preparations for war on both sides

As the United States and other NATO countries plan to arm the Ukrainian junta and to provide advisers the situation is becoming more dangerous every day with NATO holding military exercises on the Black Sea and Russia making its own military preparations

2,000 troops: S. Russia 

braces for large-sale 

military drills

RT,

5 March, 2015

The Russian Defense Ministry has launched massive military exercises, involving over 2,000 troops and some 500 items of weaponry in southern Russia, including in the Caucasus.

The field-type exercises of the air defense forces will be taking place until April 10 in twelve military firing ranges, located in Russia's South, the North Caucasus and Crimean Federal Districts, as well as at Russian military bases in Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Armenia.

“Over 2,000 troops have been involved into the battle drills, and over 500 items of weaponry and military hardware are being used,” Interfax quoted a statement of the Southern Military District.

The training day will last for 10 hours, and half of the drills will take place at night.

During the month-long drills, Russian troops will be practicing tactical, special and technical skills, alongside driving modern military equipment, shooting and fire control.

The drills involve self-propelled howitzers“Gvozdika”, multiple artillery rocket systems“Grad”, mortars “Podnos”, anti-tank missile systems “Konkurs”, and modern intelligence drones “Navodchik-2”.

“At the end of the field drills, tactical maneuvers are planned,” the statement said.

“Combat units will repeal strikes from the aggressor’s tactical aircraft, drones and precision weapon projectiles.”

“They will also carry out operational reconnaissance of the air situation in conditions of the electromagnetic warfare”, it dded.

READ MORE: Russia could protect interests in Arctic via military means – defense minister

On Wednesday, a NATO flotilla of six ships arrived in the Black Sea to take part in the exercises with the Bulgarian, Romanian and Turkish ships, the alliance said in a statement, stressing that the training will take course “in full compliance with international conventions”.

Russia carries out military exercises on a regular basis. The country’s south saw 1,700-strong drills of radiation resistance troops in February, and the Pacific Fleet of the Russian Navy is set to exercise in the sea of Japan.

Just who the aggressor is shown where the exercises are being held

6 NATO ships to stage war 

games in Black Sea

RT,

4 March, 2015

Six NATO warships arrived in the Black Sea on Wednesday to take part in exercises with the Bulgarian, Romanian and Turkish navies, the Alliance’s Maritime Command (MARCOM) said in a statement.

The six vessels in the exercises are assigned to Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2), which is headed by US Rear Admiral Brad Williamson.

SNMG2 currently consists of flagship US cruiser guided missile, the USS Vicksburg, as well as Canada’s HMCS Fredericton, Turkey’s TCG Turgutreis, FGS Spessart of Germany, Italian frigate ITS Aliseo and ROS Regina Maria of the US.

“The training and exercises we will conduct with our Allies in the Black Sea prepares us to undertake any mission NATO might require to meet its obligations for collective defense,” Williamson is cited as saying by the MARCOM’s website.

“We are here at the invitation of the Turkish, Bulgarian and Romanian governments and look forward to enhancing our interoperability with their navies,” the Rear Admiral added.

The drill will include simulated anti-air and anti-submarine warfare exercises, simulated small boat attacks and basic ship handling maneuvers.

The deployment of NATO vessels in the Black Sea is a scheduled visit, conducted “in full compliance with international conventions,” MARCOM stressed.

The group is expected to leave the Black Sea and make its way back to the Mediterranean later in March, it added.

"NATO regularly deploys ships to the Black Sea for maritime awareness and training. This scheduled deployment, given Russia's continued assertiveness, carries an additional message of reassurance to allies in the region," a NATO official told Reuters.

Previously, Russia’s envoy to NATO, Aleksandr Grushko, said Moscow will take “necessary countermeasures” in response to the Alliance’s increased presence in the Black Sea, which washes the shores of Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and several other countries.

NATO sent additional ships to the Black Sea after Russia’s reunification with the Republic of Crimea in March last year and the beginning of military conflict in April same year.

The USS Vella Gulf, USS Ross, USS Truxton, and USS Taylor – as well as warships from other NATO member states – were spotted in the area.

In July 2014, NATO deployed a total of nine vessels to the Back Sea, setting a record in the post-Soviet period.

Russia to counteract NATO's boosted presence in Black Sea – envoy

Despite the Montreux Convention of 1936 allowing warships of non-Black Sea states to stay in the area for no more than 21 days, the alliance has managed to secure its presence by constantly rotating vessels.

Black Sea oil spill

It looks very much as though the Russians are keeping the lid closed on their own ecological disaster

Russia battles to contain Black Sea oil spill as city declares a state of emergency

A Russian Black Sea city declared a state of emergency Thursday after a burst pipeline spewed oil into the landlocked water body, with stormy weather hampering cleanup efforts

Raw Story,

31 December, 2014

The pipeline near the city of Tuapse burst late Tuesday, according to ChernomorTransneft, a subsidiary of Russia’s main oil transport company Transneft.

“The wall of the pipeline broke due to… a landslide,” the company said in a statement, adding that the rupture caused 8.4 cubic metres to leak out into the Tuapse river, which empties into the Black Sea.

Environmentalists warned however that the volume of the spill could be nearly 100 times greater than claimed by Transneft.

The oil transport company said the damaged section of the pipeline — about nine kilometres (five miles) from the Black Sea coast — was under construction by a subsidiary of oil giant Rosneft and was not yet in use by Transneft.

Rosneft also operates a major oil refinery in Tuapse.

Russia’s sea and river transport agency said a cleanup mission was launched on Wednesday afternoon, though stormy weather precluded the use of boats.

By Thursday, the local authorities declared a state of emergency in Tuapse and more than 300 workers were at the scene, according to the Krasnodar regional government website.

“There is a state of emergency for Tuapse city,” a statement on the Krasnodar regional government website said. “Work is complicated by a storm, with waves two to three metres (up to 10 feet) high,” it said.

World Wildlife Fund said Thursday that the spill already polluted 15 kilometres of the Black Sea shore, and accused Rosneft and Transneft of failing to act quickly and understating the real extent of the damage.

“According to WWF’s information regarding the surface area and characteristics of the spill, the volume of the spill could be 500 to 700 tonnes (nearly 800 cubic metres),” WWF said Thursday.

The organisation said the consequences could have been avoided if the energy company alerted local authorities about the accident immediately instead of delaying its response for many hours.

Tuapse borders the resort city of Sochi, where Russia hosted the Winter Olympic Games in February.

This is, I think, from a Ukrainian source

Экологическая катастрофа в Чёрном море: РФ скрыли огромную утечку нефти

Newsru.ua,

26 December, 2014

.

"Транснефть" и "Роснефть" с опозданием в 14 часов сообщили о разгерметизации трубопровода, приведшей к утечке нефти, и многократно занизили масштаб разлива. Как сообщает WWF России, разлив произошел около 01:30 24 декабря, а в государственные службы и СМИ информация попала лишь около 15:30 того же дня, передает "Зеркало недели".

Также советник президента "Транснефти" Игорь Демин сообщил, что в результате разгерметизации вылилось 8,4 куб. м нефти. Имеющаяся у WWF информация о площади и характере загрязнения акватории свидетельствует о том, что объем разлива на 2 порядка больше и, по предварительным оценкам, достигает 500-700 тонн.

                                

Экологическая катастрофа привела к загрязнению 15 км черноморского побережья, отмечается в сообщении.

"Действия "Роснефти" и "Транснефти" в первые часы после аварии повторяют застарелую проблему отрасли – несвоевременное оповещение соответствующих служб и занижение масштабов разлива. А это ключевые факторы, определяющие эффективность реагирования" – заявил руководитель программы по экологической политике ТЭК WWF России Алексей Книжников.

Отметим, что черноморское побережье является местом массовой зимовки водоплавающих и околоводных птиц, и нефтеразлив несет реальную угрозу их гибели.

WWF России обратился в Инженерно-технологический центр "СканЭкс" для получения оперативной спутниковой информации, чтобы уточнить масштабы загрязнения и его динамику. Государственные службы охраны природы страны такой системой до сих пор не располагают.

Ранее в Туапсе ввели режим чрезвычайной ситуации из-за разлива нефти. Ликвидацией загрязнения занимаются около 330 человек и десятки единиц техники.

"Работы в море осложняет шторм — волна сейчас достигает двух-трех метров", — заявил глава Туапсинского района Владимир Лыбанев.

Напомним, в начале декабря несколько миллионов литров нефти вылилось из трубы нефтепровода на юге Израиля, недалеко от границы с Иорданией. Труба была повреждена накануне вечером, 3 декабря, в ходе ремонтных работ в 20 км от города Эйлат. Более 80 человек были госпитализированы, так как начали испытывать проблемы с дыханием от паров нефти.

Russian military exercises

Russia Launches Surprise Large-Scale, 36 Warship Military Exercise In The Black Sea

Zero Hedge,

27 March, 2013

Many were wondering what Russia's response to Germany's deposit confiscation drill in Cyprus would be. The confusion was moderated somewhat after it was uncovered that the very Russians who were supposed to be punished, have been able to withdraw some or most of their Cyprus-based cash either before the Cyprus D(eposit Confiscation)-Day or during the capital controlled blackout using various disclosed loopholes. Yet that doesn't mean that Putin would avoid this opportunity to give the "developed world" and his closest neighbors a quick lesson in realpolitik. After all, who better than a former KGB agent understands that one should never let a crisis go to waste. Sure enough, today at 4 am, in a very surprising move, Puitin ordered the launch of large-scale Russian military exercises in the Black Sea region in a move which according to Reuters "may create tensions with Russia's post-Soviet neighbors Ukraine and Georgia." Of course, it may create tensions with our island nations reachable by the Russian naval fleet, such as Cyprus, which would naturally mean tensions with the same European (read German) forces who structured the entire Cypriot bail in.

From Reuters:

Putin issued the order to start the previously unannounced maneuvers at 4 a.m. Moscow time (12.00 a.m. EDT) as he flew back from an international summit in South Africa, his spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters by telephone.

"These are large-scale unannounced test exercises," Peskov said, adding that 36 warships and an unspecified number of warplanes would take part. "The main goal is to check the readiness and cohesion of the various units."

He did not say how long the exercises would last.

Putin has stressed the importance of a strong and agile military since he returned to the presidency last May after four years as prime minister. In 13 years in power, he has often cited external threats when talking of the need for unity in Russia.

Russia's Black Sea fleet, whose main base is in the Ukrainian port of Sevastopol, was instrumental in a war with Georgia in 2008 over the Russian-backed breakaway Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Disputes with Kiev over Moscow's continued lease of the Black Sea navy base have been a thorn in relations with its former Soviet neighbor.

Peskov said that Russia is under no obligation to warn neighbors ahead of time of plans to hold the air and sea military exercises as long as fewer than 7,000 servicemen participated in the maneuvers.

And while the proposed explanation may be valid, something tells us that in this specific case it was not the Ukraine or Georgia that were being contemplated, but the island nations in the Mediterranean, or rather nation, especially the one located in close proximity to Syria.

Keep a close eye on if and when news hits that some 36 Russian warships quietly passed through the Bosphorus in direction Nicosia. Perhaps if Cyprus was so quick to hand over its Russian economic interest, all that would be needed to make it flip on its dedication to the Eurozone would be a brief but insistent naval semi-blockade. After all, few things are quite as persuasive as 36 warships sitting idly by doing not much of anything.