How are they getting there? Through the Med?
How long would that take?
Edcoil,
The Northern and Baltic Fleet elements will transit through the Strait of Gibraltar. Exactly the same as the Russian Aircraft Carrier Task Group that went into and left the Mediterranean during late 2011 and early 2012. The Black Sea element is through the Bosphorus/Turkish Straits
Currently the Black Sea elements is at the following location in the Mediterranean. The Russian Navy Auxiliary Vessels send Morse Code weather bulletins every six hours. Included in that international weather report is the latitude and longitude, heading and speed. I can pick up the Morse Code from the various Task Force elements here in the UK.
13th July, 18 GMT - Position and heading info stripped out from the Morse Code weather transmission.
RCV = Sevastopol Black Sea Fleet Headquarters
RCJE = Russian Navy vessel
8345 Kilohertz
8345 RCV DE RCJE 13181 99340 10310 22222 @ 1811Z
34.0N 31.0E Heading East at 6-10 Knots
Map Link for Russian Navy vessel position
The Northern Fleet element is currently in the Norwegian Sea moving southwards
RIT = Severomorsk Northern Fleet Headquarters
RAL48 = Russian Navy vessel
8345 Kilohertz 13th July, 18 GMT
8345 RIT DE RAL48 13181 99657 10064 22252 @1837Z
65.7N 06.4E Heading South West at 6-10 Knots
Map Link for Russian Navy vessel position
The Baltic Fleet element was last noted preparing to exit the Baltic and into the North Sea.
8345 Kilohertz 13th July, 12 GMT
RMP = Kaliningrad Baltic Fleet Headquarters
RBES = Russian Navy vessel
8345 RMP DE RBES 13121 99546 10112 22270 @1224Z
54.6N 11.2E Heading North West Speed 0 Knots or not reported
Map Link for Russian Navy vessel position
The following link details the Russian Navy vessels involved in the Task Force.
Link to Rus Navy Task Force info
The Russian Navy still makes extensive use of Morse Code. Most of it is used to set up secure High Frequency links but during these deployments Auxiliary vessels are assigned to be weather ships. This use of the Auxiliary vessels as weather ships is further evidence that this is not a combat deployment. All these types of transmission would not be sent in the open if it was some sort of combat deployment.
The same hype surrounded the Admiral Kuznetsov Task Force deployment during late 2011 and early 2012. They will simply exercise and return within a couple of months. Three months is the anticipated schedule. The Northern Fleet and Baltic fleet elements will likely refuel and replenish stocks in Spain? (Ceuta). The same as elements of the last Task Force. Further evidence that this is not a combat deployment if it is going to dock in a NATO nations Spanish port.
The M/V Alaed,the ship that was noted carry Hind attack helicopters for Syria, is also under way and currently in the Norwegian Sea heading south. It will likely tag along with the Task Force and into the Mediterranean?
Hope that helps and I'll keep the thread updated with any further Morse position info that I pick up.