The Soviet Navy (Russian: Вое́нно-морско́й флот СССР (ВМФ), tr. Voyénno-morskóy flot SSSR (VMF), lit. 'Military Maritime Fleet of the USSR') was the naval warfare uniform service branch of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet (Russian: Красный флот, tr. Krasnyy flot), the Soviet Navy made up a large part of the Soviet Union's strategic planning in the event of a conflict with the opposing superpower, the United States, during the cold war period between the two countries. The influence of the Soviet Navy played a large role in the events involving the Cold War (1945-1991), as the majority of conflicts centred around the American-led NATO alliance in western Europe or power projection to maintain its sphere of influence in eastern Europe.