"Our sea control and our power projection, two vital elements of our national security are being challenged by the resurgence of foreign powers, namely Russia and China, both seeking to supplant the United States as the partner of choice among free and prosperous nations," Grady said. "Simply put, the days of competition at sea and challenges to our maritime security and superiority have returned."
Chief of Naval Operations John Richardson said that when the United States announced it was re-establishing the Second Fleet, many assumed the country was looking for a fight, but he insisted that "nothing could be further from the truth."
Earlier this year, the Navy announced the reestablishment of the Second Fleet, saying it would operate on the East Coast of the United States and in the northern Atlantic Ocean.