ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

This is the newst update of the ‘U.S. Carrier Strike Groups Locations Map’ exclusive series showing the approximate locations of U.S. Carrier Strike Groups on a weekly basis. SouthFront: Analysis & Intelligence tracks locations of U.S. aircraft carriers using the available open-source information. No classified information was used in production of the map. Click to see the full-size map Carrier strike group (CSG) is an operational formation of the United States Navy. It is centered on an aircraft carrier and a carrier air wing (CVW) of 65 to 70 aircrafts. It’s composed of roughly 7,500 personnel, an aircraft carrier, at least one cruiser, a destroyer squadron of at least two destroyers and/or frigates. A carrier strike group also, on occasion, includes submarines, attached logistics ships and a supply ship. Carrier strike groups comprise a principal element of U.S. power projection over the world’s oceans.

North Korea has tested a new type of cruise missile that could strike US and South Korean warships, North Korean state-run media said Friday. “ This new-type cruise rocket is a powerful attack means capable of striking any enemy group of battleships ” attempting to attack the country and can be used “at will,” the Korean Central News Agency said. The missiles “accurately detected and hit” floating targets at sea after making “circular flights,” according to the report. North Korea didn’t reveal how many anti-ship missiles it had launched. However, South Korean National Security Director Chung Eui-yong said that four short-range missiles were fired. The projectiles were reportedly fired from the town of Wonsan and flew about 200 km before reaching targets between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. The anti-ship missiles represent the fourth new missile system that North Korea has introduced and tested this year.  The new missile tests came amid US THAAD miss...

A woman and boy walk past a Qatar Airways branch in the Saudi capital of Riyadh on 5 June 2017 (AFP/Getty Images) Tension between Qatar and Saudia began in 2016 when Qatar was the last Arabian Gulf country to condemn the Iranian government for the attack on the Saudi embassy in Iran by protestors that took place after Saudi Arabia had executed a Saudi Shia cleric. Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt launched a number of attempts to prevent Qatar’s cooperation with Iran. On June 4, 2017, when the attempts failed, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Bahrin announced cutting all diplomatic ties with Qatar.  They even imposed limited sanctions on Qatar banning Qatari jets and ships from entering the airspace or ports of Saudi Arabia and its allies. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia said that Qatar has to cut its diplomatic relations with Iran and to stop supporting the Muslim Brotherhood, the Hamas movement and Hezbollah. Qatar refused to fulfil the demands. Qatari...