Final thoughts on the mission Apr 20-22

We expect media coverage when the Navy is cooperating with foreign navies as in Operation Atalanta. We have not seen any coverage of this mission. So maybe it was more than counter-piracy. Maybe they wanted to show themselves to the many players in the Bab el-Mendeb region. Maybe it was an opportunity for some reconnaissance. I remember a commander talking about drones recently. Mayyun Island and Yemen are easy targets. The Navy has greatly increased its capabilities. They have demonstrated their reach from the Strait of Gibraltar to the Bab El-Mendeb and beyond. But remember our interest in this mission began when they let us know what time zone they were in. A blue water navy uses zulu time. Even a weather report passed in the clear provides useful information We know they have the capability to encrypt anything that might be sensitive. If they make a serious commitment to commsec, then we will have nothing to write about.