MT Anderson

The Logistics: ~140km further south, the rest of the Strike Group is busy. I spotted the USNS Supply conducting an UNREP with a second Arleigh Burke, while a third destroyer holds station off the stern

Source: @esa.int
Date: 21 December 2025

The Carrier: CVN-78 and an escorting Arleigh Burke are now ~300km West of Dominica, a major shift from their previous station south of Ponce

🔎🇺🇸Eastward Shift: USS Ford Moves to the Flank of the Windward Islands

OSINT Confirmed (Dec 21): The USS Gerald R. Ford (CSG 12) has shifted its operating area to the eastern flank of the Caribbean, while simultaneously conducting distributed logistics operations.

Why the shift in the Area of Responsibility (AOR)? Is this a move to support specific exercises, or a repositioning for a more direct show of force, or...

The Shift: Previous operations were closer to Puerto Rico and the Atlantic approaches. This move places the carrier squarely in the central Caribbean, reducing flight times to the South American coast.

The Location: Sighted ~380 S/SW of 🇵🇷Ponce. This is the furthest south we have tracked the carrier since her arrival in theater.

The Formation: Visible alongside is at least 1x Arleigh Burke Destroyer, though heavy cloud cover likely obscures the full escort screen.

🔎🇺🇸Pushing South: USS Gerald R. Ford Strike Group Moves Deeper into Caribbean Basin

OSINT Confirmed (Dec 12): CSG 12 (CVN-78) has shifted her operating area significantly southward.

You do you! If you want @covertshores.bsky.social content, you can find it.

🔎🇺🇸USS Stockdale (DDG-106)
Spotted on Sentinel 2 on 20 September 2025 at pier 2N at Vasco Nunez de Balboa naval base in 🇵🇦Panama City

4x DDGs now operating in SOUTHCOM

Her presence here could point to a new chapter of operations in the region. Do you think this is a precursor to expanded counter-narcotics, other missions or maybe just a coincidence?

This sighting, if confirmed, represents a significant move. The last time I spotted MV Ocean Trader was in the Middle East (NSA Bahrain on May 23, 2025)

The MV Ocean Trader is a fascinating asset. Converted from a commercial Ro-Ro ship, she serves as a clandestine forward operating base, capable of launching small craft and supporting special forces teams while blending in with commercial shipping traffic.

🔎🇺🇸Is a secretive US special ops 'mothership' operating in the Caribbean?

New satellite imagery raises ???

Analysis of Sentinel 2📸 from 20 SEP 2025, shows a vessel with a highly unique fore/aft superstructure almost identical to the MV Ocean Trader, a US Spec Ops vessel operating SW of St. Kitts

While some reports link this to counter-narcotics ops, the F-35's advanced capabilities could suggest a wider scope

This could be a staging ground for a range of "expanded" operations in the southern Caribbean.

Source: @Satellogic powered by @SkyfiApp
Date: 20 September 2025
Resolution: 99cm

🇺🇸NAS Roosevelt Roads: F-35s
New high-resolution satellite imagery from Sept 20, 2025, confirms a continued US military presence at the former NAS Roosevelt Roads, Ceiba, Puerto Rico.

Analysis reveals 6x F-35 Lightning II aircraft on the tarmac, indicating a persistent, strategic deployment

The presence of a single TEL/TELAR raises questions. Is it a forward deployment (singular TEL/TELAR relatively useless), a sign of limited resources, or just a small part of a larger, unseen plan?

What's your take on this setup?

Source: maxar powered by skyfi

Date: 14 September 2025

Zooming in, we can identify an airspace surveillance radar on the north coast (B) and a possible TEL/TELAR near the airstrip (A). Given the resolution, the system is hard to definitively ID, but could be a BUK.

🔎🇻🇪Venezuelan Exercises: La Orchila on Watch
On September 14, 2025, with Venezuelan military exercises underway, we took a closer look at La Orchila Island, a key strategic point.

🔎🇺🇸CSG 12 in 🇳🇴Oslo
The USS Gerald R. Ford is at anchor 3nm south of Oslo today

The world's largest aircraft carrier was spotted near Moss, transiting Oslofjorden NB, after exercises in the Norwegian and North Seas with allied nations

Source: @esa Sentinel 1 SAR
Date: 12 Sep 2025

What do you think this signals?

Source: @Satellogic delivered by @SkyfiApp
Date: 9 September 2025

🔎🇺🇸Reapers in the Caribbean
Satellite image reveals two MQ-9 Reaper drones at Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen in Puerto Rico (Aguadilla)

With a long endurance and advanced sensors, these assets are critical for counter-narcotics and maritime surveillance, especially as tensions in the region rise.

Given rising tensions, the southward movement is a notable development in counter-narcotics operations and any other goals of the operation

What do you think is the next logical move for this ARG?

Source: @esa
Date: 3 September 2025

👀Eyes on Venezuela & the Caribbean

New Sentinel-2 imagery shows the 🇺🇸Iwo Jima ARG & the embarked 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, including the USS Iwo Jima (Wasp Class LHD), 2x San Antonio Class LPDs and an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, sailing southeast ~550km North of 🇻🇪Caracas

She was in Bahrain less than a month ago, could there be maintenance issues?

Time will tell...

Source: @esa
Date: 1 September 2025

🔎🇺🇸The Ghost Carrier (CVN-68) in the Middle East
Sentinel-2 imagery from Sep 1 shows the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) in port in Duqm, Oman

What's unusual is the lack of any official or unofficial news

Given the ongoing tensions with the Houthis, was this a deliberate low-profile port call?

This raises the question: Are these "gray-zone" tactics worth the cost for the PLAN?

Source: @Satellogic powered by @SkyfiApp | @esa
Dates: Aug 27 | Sep 3

This incident confirms the risks of China's "illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive" (ICAD) behavior. The collision between two of their own vessels highlights the operational dangers of these tactics

It has since moved alongside the dock, as seen in low-res Sentinel-2 imagery from Sep 3 (caveats apply given low resolution)

🔎🇨🇳The Damaged Ship (CCG3104) Returns

Recent high-res imagery of Yulin Naval Base reveals a critical update. The CCG3104, damaged in a collision near Scarborough Shoal while using ICAD tactics in the 🇵🇭EEZ, was spotted in dry dock on Aug 27

🔎🇺🇸Carrier Strike Group 12
Spotted NW of the 🇳🇴Lofoten Islands on 30 August 2025, CVN-78 can be seen operating with 1x Arleigh Burke Class Destroyer

Source: @esa.int
Date: 30 August 2025