The Russian Pacific Fleet, though severely weakened in the two decades following the end of the Cold War, may soon see its importance and development resurge. The fleet has suffered from deficient investment, aging vessels, lower training levels and subpar maintenance. Moreover, it has only begun to receive new vessels again over the last two years. Moscow is trying to bolster the Pacific Fleet as a key component of its overall military modernization plan while it is increasingly looking to expand its influence in the east. Russia's economy, however, will force Moscow to strategically prioritize its spending on the fleet, as well as on its overall military strategy. Even during the Cold War, the Russian Pacific Fleet was a defensive force, completely outmatched by the combined naval forces of the United States and Japan. This dynamic intensified in the aftermath of the Cold War with the fleet's deterioration.