US re-establishes 2nd Fleet to counter 'competition'

[nitpicker]

http://www.dw.com/en/us-re-establishes-2nd-fleet-to-counter-competition/a-43662253

US re-establishes 2nd Fleet to counter 'competition'

The 2nd fleet will be tasked with covering the US East Coast and the north of the Atlantic Ocean, presumably as a response to Russia's increased activity in the region.

"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," Chief of US Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson said on Friday. "That's why today, we're standing up Second Fleet to address these changes," he added.

Washington disbanded the 2nd fleet, which at the time numbered over 100 ships, in 2011. Many of its assets and personnel were assigned to other sections of the US Navy. The move was made ahead of the Crimea crisis as ex-President Barack Obama was urging a "pivot to Asia" to focus on China's growing power in the region. However, Russia has increased its naval patrols in the Baltic Sea since the standoff with the West started in 2014.
(snip)