The 2nd Fleet of the US Navy responded to a request from the top US commander in the region by increasing their presence in the North Atlantic.
The fleet commander told reporters on April 29 that the short-notice deployment was the first time 2nd Fleet had command-and-control of forces in Europe outside of an exercise.
The Second Fleet was reestablished in response to increased Russian naval activity in the North Atlantic, but Dwyer did not link the deployment to Russia's attack on Ukraine.
The surge demonstrated the US's ability to deploy ships whose crews are fully trained ahead of an anticipated event.
2nd Fleet, which is based in Virginia, had control of the destroyers Forest Sherman, The Sullivans, and Donald Cook.
The fifth destroyer, the Gonzalez, was deployed from the US in January as part of the surge but was later diverted to the Mediterranean and the Middle East.
The flagship of the Navy's Italy-based 6th Fleet, which 2nd Fleet used to direct ships in the North Atlantic, was embarked by Dwyer as Destroyer Squadron 22.
Second Fleet is responsible for the western Atlantic from the Caribbean to the North Pole, but it can also act as a maneuver arm for a four-star headquarters.
At times of need, I can surge forward and support a four-star naval headquarters with my maritime operations center commanding-and-controlling ships that are outside of my normal area of responsibilities.
The US Navy has been trying to reacclimate crews to the high north, which are increasingly accessible, but remain tough environments for sailors and ships.
The crews encountered weather they were not accustomed to, and the fleet took precautions so they could be safe and effective.
Over the following weeks, the US ships trained with the Italian, British, British, Polish, German, and Swedish navies in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, conducting a full range of maritime missions.
US Navy ships do extensive training on the East Coast, but to actually sail alongside a naval vessel from one of our NATO allies or one of our partners is not possible in training.
It is not possible to replicate that live interaction, which is actually coming up on bridge-to-bridge and having that communication and then discussing how they are going to execute the assigned mission together.
The ocean between North America and Europe is kept open by the head of US 2nd Fleet.
NATO leaders have warned about Russian naval activity and the risk it poses to both sides of the Atlantic, even though Dwyer did not link 2nd Fleet's recent activity directly to Russia. The predecessor led several exercises to mimic a crossing.
Since reaching full operational capability in July, JFC Norfolk has been actively monitoring the North Atlantic to ensure NATO's strategic lines of communication remain open in order to support the sustainment of Europe.
NATO leaders warned about Russia's submarines, which are more active and have new, longer-range weapons. The US mainland is no longer a sanctuary because of the presence of those subs in the Atlantic.
Russian submarine activity in the high north has increased in the past few years. In April, the foreign minister of Iceland said that this was a worrying development.
Russia's powerful Northern Fleet is based in the middle of the Greenland-Iceland-UK Gap, where the ships and subs of Russia are based. NATO has put renewed emphasis on that waterway.
The monitoring of Russian submarine activity will be done byIceland, and any response that may be required.
In April, an exercise called Northern Viking 22 was held in Iceland. The focus on anti-submarine warfare was relevant to the German Navy.
The North Atlantic is becoming a more dynamic environment despite the fact that Second Fleet did not command forces involved in Northern Viking.
The mission of Second Fleet is to deter and defeat potential adversaries in our area of responsibility.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
