Key Points and Summary
-Italy is signaling its ambition as a global maritime power with its flagship aircraft carrier, the ITS Cavour.
-More than just a warship, the F-35B-equipped carrier is a key instrument of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s muscular foreign policy, designed to protect trade routes, project influence, and reassure allies.
-A recent and successful deployment to the Indo-Pacific, which included joint exercises with the U.S. Navy, demonstrated the Cavour’s global reach.
-This versatile vessel, which can also transport tanks and serve in humanitarian missions, solidifies Italy’s role as a serious player on the world stage.
Fun Naval Fact: Italy Has an Aircraft Carrier
One of the best ways to deliver military might and increase national prestige and morale is to deploy an aircraft carrier.
It makes sense for many countries with big defense budgets, but for smaller defense forces, having a carrier does not make sense.
The maintenance needs for the flat-top and its surface fleet escorts are painstaking and cost-prohibitive. Plus, the training of pilots and crews is difficult.
Some countries can make carriers work, though, and this creates an exclusive club with members you would never expect.
Take Italy, for example. The country was one of the founding members of NATO. However, it is not the first navy that comes to mind when you consider all the countries that deploy carriers.
More About the ITS Cavour Carrier
But Italy has a modern aircraft carrier called the ITS Cavour.
This is the flagship of the Italian Navy.
The Cavour was laid down in 2001 and launched in 2004. Sea trials began in 2006, and it was commissioned in 2008.
The ship is 800 feet long – a little on the short side for a carrier, as many are usually 1,000 feet long.
The Cavour’s beam is 127 feet, and it displaces 30,000 tons. The ship has a top speed of more than 28 knots. Its range is 7,000 nautical miles.
The Cavour is conventionally powered by four Fiat Avio LM2500 (General Electric) gas turbines. There are two shafts and two propellers.
The ship has a 16-cell vertical launch system for Aster surface-to-air missiles for defensive purposes. The vessel also comes with two Oto Melara 76/62mm Super Rapid guns and two Oto Melara/Oerlikon KBA 25/80mm guns.
National Pride Boost with F-35Bs
The Cavour has an older and less sophisticated “ski jump” ramp.
The carrier can only deploy 20 aircraft consisting of F-35B vertical and short-take off and landing Lightning IIs and AV-8B Harrier II jump jets.
There are also Merlin helicopters.
The Harriers were eventually retired, and now the Cavour has full functionality to carry F-35Bs only. There can be ten Lightning IIs in the below-deck hangar and six on the flight deck. The Italian navy was particularly proud of this transition to stealth flight.
The Cavour is much more effective now with the F-35Bs and is one of the leading countries that can deploy a S/TOVL aircraft to battle zones around the world and keep Italy safe from marauding navies.
The Cavour is known for its intricate sensor systems. There are long-range, multifunction, surface, and fire direction radar. This makes the carrier more modern and survivable.
It Has the Capability of Deploying Armor, Too
One interesting capability of the Cavour is that it can transport armored vehicles to the fight. There is hangar space for 24 tanks or 36 armored personnel carriers. This a plus for Italian defense operations that call for sending armor into battle in far-flung locations. The Cavour can also choose to be a heavy helicopter carrier for humanitarian and search and rescue missions.
For example, in 2010, the Cavour deployed to Haiti to conduct a relief effort for Operation White Crain after a devastating earthquake there.
It also facilitated the trip to the United States for operational training in flight deck operations, allowing for the rehearsal of aviation requirements for the F-35B.
Momentous Times with a Far East Deployment
In 2024, the Cavour and a strike group successfully reached Japan, docking in Tokyo Bay. The F-35Bs took on 180 flying hours and 110 patrol missions. This was a significant and successful deployment for the Italian Navy, demonstrating that the maritime force had a global reach and a substantial combat radius for F-35B operations.
The airplanes conducted the “Pitch Black” exercises on the way to practice night operations, which demonstrated that the naval aviators could take the F-35B and push it beyond the usual objectives of flying during the day.
The Cavour strike group also operated with the U.S. Navy’s USS Abraham Lincoln strike group.
This was one of the most critical aspects of the deployment. The Italians showed that they are a world-class navy when operating with the Americans.
This displayed naval skill and racked up a significant amount of combined training sorties with the U.S. Navy. If the Italians want a modern navy, they will have to execute that kind of interoperability with their main NATO ally.
What Is the Strategy Behind This Carrier?
However, there are some key questions for the Italian Navy and the country’s entire military.
Why does Italy want to sail in the Indo-Pacific?
Do they fear the rise of China? Or is this just a rehearsal mission in case the country is needed to deploy forces to Eastern Europe? Perhaps the East Asian deployment is a preparation to sail in the Black Sea to help eliminate Russia’s fleet there.
Should Italy stay out of the Indo-Pacific and focus on its own region? The Italians don’t have much of a bone to pick with China. But the country could be signaling to the world that it is a maritime power in its own right. As I mentioned earlier, though, carrier operations are expensive and difficult to maintain in future years. The Italian navy must determine that if they are indeed a “Blue Water” navy, they must be ready to sink the time, money, and resources to continue global deployments.
Italy has demonstrated its capabilities with a carrier strike group. It can undertake a less strenuous humanitarian mission and give the impression that it is not intimidated by China. This is a strategic move for Italy’s government, which aims to maintain its economic strength and remain a leader in the European Union, while continuing to be a member of the G-7. If Italy is to achieve its wants and needs for economic primacy, a global navy that can bring the fight to the Chinese can complete its strategic aims.
This can be attributed to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s foreign policy. She is giving more thought to Italy’s role in the world. One of these international relations objectives is to reassure the United States and other allies in NATO that Italy is a reliable partner. Defending the country’s sovereignty is essential, but Meloni has big dreams for her country, and she is taking a “New Look” at her country’s foreign policy. This means a more muscular defense strategy that includes greater use of the Cavour.
Italy wants to “enlarge” the Mediterranean to include coming to the aid of allies in East Asia, such as Japan and perhaps even Taiwan. That doesn’t mean the Cavour would be deployed to the Taiwan Strait if China were to attack Taiwan.
Still, it does remind countries in the Indo-Pacific that Italy is a global player and is willing to extend its navy beyond its region.
If the Cavour can successfully navigate its way to Japan, it can certainly uphold its interests in Africa. Indeed, the Italians have a long history in Africa, and Meloni wants to encourage future economic and trade ties on the continent. This means keeping the sea lines of communication open and future trade routes intact in the Mediterranean. The Cavour has a significant role to play in this Africa-focused strategy.
Italy also has to deal with immigration and asylum seekers from foreign lands. While an aircraft carrier is not the type of ship that can reduce immigration, Meloni is aware that her navy must be adept at “brown water” actions to protect its borders from increased immigration.
Italy also needs to maintain energy relationships with countries in the Middle East, such as the United Arab Emirates. Having a carrier can send the message that Italy is willing to use its military might to protect trade routes that are successful in keeping oil flowing to Rome and other top-tier cities.
Overall, the carrier operations portend a more vigorous foreign policy for Italy. While it will never have one of the biggest navies in the world, Italy can show it will fly the flag to promote its foreign interests in commerce and trade.
The carrier also reveals that Italy is a NATO ally that can bring the fight to the Russians if needed. The country is also willing to remind the Chinese that it could venture to East Asia in a pinch.
Tactically, the Italian navy can take a modern stealth fighter and conduct significant levels of carrier operations at night and in all weather.
Italy’s Aircraft Carrier Future Looks Decent
Meloni must be pleased. She has a top-notch navy for a country that is of more diminutive stature than Germany, the United Kingdom, and France, meaning that Italy punches above its weight.
Keeping a carrier in business is not easy, but so far, the Italians can handle the task while boosting their overall grand strategy that emphasizes economic growth and commerce.
A decent globetrotting navy can back up Trade, and the Italians are showing they have what it takes to be a maritime power in their own right.
About the Author: Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for US Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former US Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
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