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| The U.S. Takes Aim at Russia With a Resurrected Navy Fleet | |
| 2018-05-18 | |
by James Stavridis
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. What does the return of the Second Fleet say about America’s maritime strategy and relations with a resurgent Russia? After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the U.S. drew down the overall size of the Atlantic Fleet, correctly believing that the Russian Federation did not pose the kind of threat represented by the old Soviet Union. Fast forward to rule of Vladimir Putin, who has rebuilt the Russian Fleet — especially its undersea forces. In his recent “weapons video,” he showed many new weapons that could be launched from the Atlantic against the American mainland and sea defenses, including hypersonic cruise missiles and nuclear-powered undersea torpedoes. Whether those are actually operational weapons is still unclear, but the malign intent is hard to overlook. As the recent National Security Strategy and the follow-on National Defense Strategy point out, “great power politics” is back. Second, the return of Second Fleet helps re-energize NATO as a maritime force in the Atlantic. While I was supreme allied commander at NATO, the former NATO Atlantic Command, or Saclant, had atrophied into a test bed for innovation and training and was a shadow of its former self. Alongside the return of Second Fleet, NATO has announced a new Atlantic Command as well, which will be embedded within the larger Second Fleet. Both will be based in Norfolk, Virginia, and the efficiencies of combining them will allow far better allied participation in U.S. military efforts in the Atlantic Ocean. Look for British, French, German, Italian, Spanish and other advanced warships from Europe to be calling in U.S. ports and operating extensively with our forces from the Arctic down to the Caribbean and well into the deep Atlantic. Both commands will be headed up by a single 3-star vice admiral, with staff officers from across the 29 nations of the NATO alliance. Third, the new Second Fleet/NATO command will be responsible for specific operations to thwart Russian attempts to dominate the northern portions of the Atlantic. This means conducting broad area surveillance, including the use of oversea long-dwell drones; deploying manned maritime patrol aircraft such as Boeing’s new P-8 Poseidon to track Russian submarines; using undersea monitoring systems, which are essentially listening posts on the deep seabed; undertaking at-sea combat training exercises with destroyers, cruisers and aircraft carriers; and integrating land-based air on both sides of the Atlantic from their homes in the U.S., U.K. and Iceland. There will also be extensive operations under the surface of the sea by nuclear and diesel submarines, especially in the Arctic Ocean. All of this means more tension closer to U.S. shores. Alongside the dangerous military operations in Syria, where U.S. and Russian forces are literally within rifle shot of each other, the waters of the North Atlantic will become a zone of serious potential conflict. | |
| Posted by:Skidmark |
| #4 More admirals, wow, that will scare the Russians ..... |
| Posted by: NoMoreBS 2018-05-18 12:23 |
| #3 Positions for over-promoted Liaison Officers -- a multi-national smorgasbord with more admirals than ships? Something to duplicate any NATO North Atlantic command apparatus that we will also be expected to fund? Color me unimpressed... |
| Posted by: magpie 2018-05-18 09:57 |
| #2 The North Atlantic is rough sailing. May as well keep in practice instead having to relearn how to function in it while in the middle of a crisis. |
| Posted by: charger 2018-05-18 06:57 |
| #1 What does the return of the Second Fleet say about America’s maritime strategy and relations with a resurgent Russia? Perhaps they are preparing for the Atlantic approach of the Iranian fleet? |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2018-05-18 02:26 |