Himani Sarkar/Reuters
The U.S. Navy has reportedly re-activated its Second Fleet to patrol the north Atlantic in the face of a rising threat from Russia. “Our National Defense Strategy makes clear that we’re back in an era of great power competition as the security environment continues to grow more challenging and complex,” Admiral John Richardson, the chief of U.S. Naval Operations, said in a statement announcing the news Friday. “That’s why today, we’re standing up Second Fleet to address these changes, particularly in the north Atlantic,” he said. The Second Fleet command was originally formed after World War II and played a crucial role during the Cold War, but it was disbanded in 2011 as a cost-cutting measure. A decision was made to bring the command back after defense officials warned of “growing threats” from Russia and China. It also followed a similar move by NATO, which announced last winter that it would be setting up new military headquarters to counter Russian aggression in the Atlantic.