US Navy re-establishes Second Fleet amid Russia tensions

Amid heightened tensions with Russia, the US Navy announced Friday the re-establishment of the US Second Fleet which will be responsible for Naval forces along the East Coast and in the northern Atlantic Ocean.

Posted 8:28 p.m. May 4, 2018 — Updated 8:28 p.m. May 4, 2018

Ryan Browne (CNN)

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Amid heightened tensions with Russia, the US Navy announced Friday the re-establishment of the US Second Fleet which will be responsible for Naval forces along the East Coast and in the northern Atlantic Ocean.

The areas are seen as critical to counter the rising threat of Russia and the new US defense strategy that focuses more on great power rivalry, according to multiple US defense officials.

The Defense Department also announced that the US has offered to host and lead NATO's newly proposed Joint Force Command for the Atlantic at Norfolk, Virginia.

A US Navy official said that "the return to great power competition demands that we focus on the Atlantic." Re-establishing the second fleet "ensures dedicated reinforcement of the region and demonstrates a capable and credible deterrence effect" against adversaries, the official said.

A Navy official said the fleet will eventually involve 250 personnel and be led by a three-star admiral.

The Second Fleet was disestablished in 2011 for cost-savings and a changing strategic environment. The Second Fleet was originally formed following World War II as the Second Task Fleet and was re-designated in 1950 as the Second Fleet with the primary mission of supporting NATO.

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