The U.S. Takes Aim at Russia With a Resurrected Navy Fleet
A new focus on the North Atlantic sends a strong message but also risks a major incident.
Just head north.
Photographer: Mark Wilson/Getty Images
In yet another indication of the return of great power politics and the cratering U.S.-Russian relationship, the Defense Department announced last week the return of the historic and venerable Second Fleet, which has traditionally guarded the Atlantic approaches to the continental U.S.
The fleet was disestablished in 2011 in an attempt to save money and free up funding for new ship construction. That decision proved shortsighted. The revamped command will have nearly 300 officers and enlisted men and women, and will take on responsibility for training the Atlantic Fleet and, more importantly, conducting real-world operations to track potentially hostile vessels approaching the U.S. coasts.