US Pacific Fleet expands use of 3rd Fleet commanders

[webfact]

US Pacific Fleet expands use of 3rd Fleet commanders
AUDREY McAVOY, Associated Press

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) — The U.S. Pacific Fleet commander said he plans to expand the role of the U.S. 3rd Fleet commander and her staff in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Pacific Fleet consists of the 3rd Fleet headquartered in San Diego and the 7th Fleet headquartered in Yokosuka, Japan. For decades, the 7th Fleet has taken command of 3rd Fleet ships when they crossed the international dateline.

But Adm. Scott Swift said Tuesday he plans to have 3rd Fleet commander Vice Adm. Nora Tyson and her staff maintain operational control of some of these ships when they travel west. For example, he says the 3rd Fleet could lead the Navy's response to a tsunami while the 7th Fleet focuses on Japanese earthquake relief.

The Navy hasn't been taking full advantage of 3rd Fleet capacity and capability, Swift said.

The first sailors to deploy under this arrangement are scheduled to leave Pearl Harbor on Wednesday. Their ships —the USS Momsen, based in Everett, Washington, and the USS Decatur and USS Spruance based in San Diego, California — are deploying together as a surface action group.

The 3rd Fleet leaders can help out the 7th Fleet, which is already busy in the Asia-Pacific region, Swift said.

"The future is very unpredictable. If we hit that capacity point, we don't want to find ourselves for the first time asking the question, well let's see what we can do with 3rd Fleet. We need to start those actions now," Swift told reporters after speaking to sailors on the Momsen.

Swift said Tyson has already taken on more duties in the region, for example representing him at a review of Japanese naval forces in October. The 7th Fleet commander was unable to be there because he was supporting an exercise in South Korea.

Tyson also recently met with Australian and New Zealand navy leaders during visits to those countries. Swift said he plans to have the 3rd Fleet take an active role in Talisman Sabre, a U.S.-Australian exercise that takes place every other year.


-- (c) Associated Press 2016-04-27

[Srikcir]

Having two fleet commands in the Asia-Pacific region also gives the US Navy flexibility in the event of a broad military confllict.

Choosing to be proactive instead of reactive might deter those nations considering aggression against neighbors' sovereignty.

[jobin]

So, who contemplates aggression? Just play nice in the water and obey the rules (all written in chinese).

[hawker9000]

What's really going on here is a spineless, zero-credibility Obama administration and a very whittled down U.S. Navy rearranging the Titanic deck chairs trying desperately to figure out a way to deal with the Chinese who've so far successfully annexed a sizeable chunk of the western Pacific (read East & South China Seas) completely unopposed, unless you count a pathetic lone destroyer making the occasional "freedom of navigation" pass miles & miles away from fabricated islands on which China has established military facilities, never daring so much as an overflight. The Chinese aren't fooled; our allies in the region aren't fooled; and most of the American people haven't a clue to begin with.

Unanswered aggression. Wars start this way.