Navy announces IOC for U.S. 2nd Fleet

The Navy yesterday said its recently re-activated U.S. 2nd Fleet has reached initial operating capability.

In a press release, the service said 2nd Fleet would conduct Exercise Baltic Operations, or BALTOPS, now that it has reached this milestone.

"BALTOPS 2019 is our collective opportunity to promote peace and security through cooperation, collaboration, interoperability, and an unambiguous display of strength in the Baltic region," Vice Adm. Andrew "Woody" Lewis, the fleet's commander, said in a statement.

"As an alliance, increasing our capabilities across all-domains as well as building a command-wide network will give us the ability to deter aggression and project stability," he continued.

Inside Defense previously reported that the Navy would begin operational testing for the fleet in February. The service last May said it would re-active 2nd Fleet, citing the move to great power competition in the Pentagon's National Defense Strategy.

During a November appearance at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Lewis said he expected the fleet to achieve final operational capability in about one year.