A top US Navy admiral has announced the re-establishment of the US 2nd Fleet — a Cold War command disbanded in 2011 — to patrol the North Atlantic and face a resurgent threat from Russia.
The chief of US Naval Operations, Admiral John Richardson, made the announcement during a change of command ceremony on Friday in the naval port of Norfolk, Virginia.
“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,” Richardson said, according to a US Navy statement. “That’s why today, we’re standing up Second Fleet to address these changes, particularly in the north Atlantic.”
Photo: AFP
The 2nd Fleet command was disbanded as a cost-savings step in 2011, and its assets and personnel dispersed within the navy.
The new command will be responsible for US naval forces along the US east coast as well as the north Atlantic region, a statement said.
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 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 late last year also reported Russian submarines probing undersea data cables in the north Atlantic.
The 2nd Fleet command currently exists only on paper, but according to USNI News, a publication of the US Naval Institute, the command is scheduled to open for business on July 1 with 11 officers and four enlisted personnel.
The command will eventually grow to 256 personnel — 85 officers, 164 enlisted and seven civilians — USNI reported, citing a memo signed earlier in the week by US Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer.
The decision to reactivate the 2nd Fleet followed increasing threats in the Atlantic from Russia, officials familiar with the decision told USNI News.
US Secretary of Defense James Mattis in January said the US is facing “growing threats” from China and Russia, and warned that the US military’s advantages have eroded in recent years.
“We face growing threats from revisionist powers as different as China and Russia, nations that seek to create a world consistent with their authoritarian models,” Mattis said as he unveiled the Pentagon’s latest National Defense Strategy.
“Our military is still strong, yet our competitive edge has eroded in every domain of warfare,” he added.
RESTRICTING TAIWAN: Beijing is using coercion and economic incentives to force other countries to accept its claims on Taiwan, the MOFA said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday it would close its representative office in Papua New Guinea and stop buying liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the country, citing Chinese pressure. Papua New Guinea’s minister of foreign affairs in July said the government had decided to close Taiwan’s representative office in the country immediately, winning praise from China, although the office had remained open in the interim. Taiwan has decided to shut the office and withdraw all personnel on the basis of national dignity, diplomatic autonomy and the country’s overall interests, the MOFA said, adding that the government will reassess and adjust
Taiwan and Japan might sign a wide-ranging trade agreement by the end of this year, which could help break a deadlock in Taiwan’s trade diplomacy if completed, Nikkei Asia reported yesterday. Japan is negotiating with the administration of President William Lai (賴清德) to reach a comprehensive economic agreement modeled after the Enhanced Trade Partnership Arrangement finalized by the UK and Taiwan in 2023, it said, citing two sources familiar with the matter. “The Enhanced Trade Partnership between the UK and Taiwan sets a precedent for Japan to follow,” one of the sources told the media outlet. The framework leaves room for future agreements
Chinese national Cheng Wanjun (程萬軍), who was at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport after arriving on a connecting flight from Thailand on Monday and sought asylum in Taiwan, was deported to Thailand early yesterday, the National Immigration Agency (NIA) said. In a video circulating on X, Cheng identified himself as a former host at China Central Television (CCTV) and said he was seeking temporary humanitarian protection in Taiwan. Cheng said he was sentenced to six years in prison after he was recorded and reported to authorities in 2019 for criticizing “a ruler who loses his country.” After his release, he was forced to go
PLUMMETING: The TAIEX plunged 3,737.67 points in early session yesterday, the largest intraday drop in history, and closed down 1,873.08 points due to AI data center concerns The government yesterday authorized the activation of its NT$500 billion (US$15.26 billion) National Stabilization Fund (NSF) to support local shares, as the stock market experienced significant fluctuations while uncertainties in the international political and economic situation continue. The NSF’s steering committee may use the fund to intervene in the market to prop up local shares, the Ministry of Finance said in a statement. Once the fund is activated next week, it would be the 10th time the NSF has intervened in the market. Separately, the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) yesterday announced temporary curbs on short selling shares and other measures to help
RSS