The Navy is resurrecting a fleet to protect the East Coast and North Atlantic from Russia
By Alex Horton, Washington Post, May 6, 2018
The U.S. Navy has reactivated a fleet responsible for overseeing the East Coast and North Atlantic--an escalation of the Pentagonâs focus on a resurgent Russia and its expanding military presence.
The 2nd Fleet, deactivated in 2011 to preserve funds for new ships, will resume operations in Norfolk on July 1, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson told reporters Friday.
âThis is a dynamic response to the dynamic security environment,â Richardson said onboard the carrier USS George H.W. Bush. âSo as weâve seen this great-power competition emerge, the Atlantic Ocean is as dynamic a theater as any and particular the North Atlantic, so as we consider high-end naval warfare, fighting in the Atlantic, that will be the 2nd Fleetâs responsibility.â
Navy officials had previously recommended reactivating the fleet as part of broader reviews following last yearâs row of deadly collisions among ships in the Japan-based 7th Fleet.
In a separate statement, Richardson invoked Defense Secretary Jim Mattisâs national-defense strategy as key guidance to reestablish the fleet, which will extend halfway across the Atlantic until it meets the area of responsibility for the Italy-based 6th Fleet.
One concern the 2nd Fleet will immediately address: the threat from a now-modest number of Russian nuclear attack submarines capable of cruising in the depths off the East Coast, McGrath told The Washington Post.
Submarines like the nuclear-powered Yasen-class fleet are equipped with hypersonic anti-ship missiles and nuclear-capable missiles that can reach any city on the Eastern Seaboard within range, he said.
Patrols will likely start soon after and involve manned and unmanned surface ships, attack submarines and air surveillance by P-8 Poseidon aircraft, a sub-hunting warplane.
The move arrives alongside broader NATO strategies to counter Russia. In a separate announcement Friday, the Pentagon said it proposed a NATO Joint Force Command for the Atlantic in Norfolk.
âTo quote Ned Stark: âWinter is coming,ââ McGrath said, referring to a âGame of Thronesâ character who warns of approaching conflict. âThere is a general sense a revisionist power in Russia is dedicated to opposing the U.S. in many arenas, and military opposition is increasingly one of them.â
