US sea power swells as it restores its North Atlantic fleet

in THE Pentagon is re-establishing a naval command for the North Atlantic as it puts countering Russia at the heart of its military strategy.

Amid rising tensions, senior commanders announced that the Second Fleet, which was disbanded seven years ago to save costs, would be based at Norfolk, Virginia.

It was the latest sign of US military priorities shifting to counter major powers, in this case Russia, after years focusing on the fight against Islamist militants.

The command will initially have 15 personnel but grow to more than 200 people.

It will oversee ships, aircraft and landing forces in the northern Atlantic and be responsible for training forces in the region.

Admiral John Richardson, chief of US naval operations, said: “We’re back in an era of great power competition as the security environment continues to grow more challenging and complex.”

He said it was a “dynamic response to a dynamic environment” and a move aimed at projecting force.

Russia has become more assertive militarily in recent years. Its navy is smaller than during the Cold War but it has increased patrols in the Baltic, North Atlantic and the Arctic. Diplomatic tensions between Moscow and Washington have also increased following the attack on Sergei Skripal, the former spy, in Salisbury.

In a new national defence strategy announced earlier this year, the US said it would prioritise countering Russia and China.

The US will also set up Nato’s new Atlantic command headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia.

That was agreed at a meeting of Nato defence ministers in February to help secure sea lanes and lines of

‘The return to great power competition demands that Nato focus on the Atlantic’

communication between Europe and North America.

Johnny Michael, a Pentagon spokesman, said: “The return to great power competition and a resurgent Russia demands that Nato refocus on the Atlantic to ensure dedicated reinforcement of the continent, and demonstrate a capable and credible deterrence effect.”

Restarting the US Second Fleet was recommended in a Navy study following two collisions of ships last year, which led to the deaths of 17 sailors.