Strike Fleet Atlantic turns the Soviet bastion into a defensive burden

Strike Fleet Atlantic was a mission-defined NATO formation built largely around American carrier battle groups. Its planned surge into the high north would threaten the Soviet homeland and force Soviet naval assets to concentrate on defending northern waters. That pressure would turn the bastion concept on its head: an area meant to shelter offensive forces would instead consume them in its own defence. The organizational label describes a strategic purpose as well as a collection of ships.