US Navy reactivates its Atlantic 2nd Fleet
With tensions between NATO and Russia rising, the U.S. military is re-establishing the U.S. 2nd Fleet — a Cold War command disbanded in 2011 — to patrol the North Atlantic and face a resurgent threat from Russia.
The Second Fleet will provide forces along the U.S. east coast and in the northern Atlantic Ocean, according to Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. John Richardson, who made the announcement Friday, May 5 during a change of command ceremony in Norfolk,
The 2nd Fleet command was disbanded as a cost-savings measure under the Obama administration in 2011, and its assets and personnel dispersed within the navy.
Before it was disbanded the 2nd Fleet played a key role during the Cold War years, with operations in the North Atlantic and supporting US naval forces in the Mediterranean.
Russian submarine activity is at its highest levels since the Cold War, according to NATO and U.S. officials. Russia recently sent a spy ship up the east coast of the United States and the ｃountry announced plans to develop an underwater nuclear armed drone.
Russian planes and ships have in recent months made multiple incursions in the north Atlantic close to the airspace and territorial waters of US NATO allies, including Britain.
NATO naval officials in late 2017 also reported Russian submarines probing underseas data cables in the north Atlantic. …
The decision to reactivate the 2nd Fleet followed increasing threats in the Atlantic from Russia, officials familiar with the decision told USNI News.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in January the United States is facing “growing threats” from China and Russia, and warned that the US military’s advantages have eroded in recent years.
[The Second Fleet, disestablished in 2011, conducted military exercises with NATO, trained and certified ships and crews for deployment, provided humanitarian assistance and conducted disaster response missions.
The fleet also oversaw the blockade of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis, rescued Americans in Grenada during Operation Urgent Fury in October 1983 and trained and certified half the U.S. fleet for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
The Defense Department also announced Friday that U.S. officials offered to host and lead NATO’s newly proposed Joint Force Command for the Atlantic at Norfolk,
Article Source:https://www.studentnewsdaily.com/daily-news-article/us-navy-reactivates-its-atlantic-2nd-fleet/
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VOCABULARY WORDS
1.Disperse/verb:distribute or spread over a wide area.
2.Mediterranean/adjective: characteristic of the Mediterranean Sea, the ｃountries bordering it, or their inhabitants.
3.Disestablish/verb:deprive (an organization, especially a ｃountry's national church) of its official status.
4.Conduct/ verb: conducted; organize and carry out.
5.Erode/verb:(of wind, water, or other natural agents) gradually wear away (soil, rock, or land).
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1. a) Describe the recent Russian activity in the Atlantic.
b) What area will the re-established 2nd Fleet be responsible for?
2. What warning did Secretary of Defense James Mattis give in January regarding Russia and China?
3. How important do you think it is for the U.S. to re-activate the 2nd Fleet?
