The Italian Navy’s Carrier Strike Group based on the Cavour (CVH 550) STOVL aircraft carrier escorted by the Alpino (F 594) Bergamini-class frigate has left the Taranto naval base on 1st June for a five-month operational campaign across the Indo-Pacific region.
Luca Peruzzi 05 Jun 2024
The deployment of the Italian Navy’s Carrier Strike Group (IT CSG) has been undisclosed and reported by Naval News during the US Navy’s Surface Navy Association (SNA) in Washington at the beginning of January and officialised by the Italian Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Enrico Credendino attending the Conference Navale de Paris organized by the Institut Français des Relations Internationales (IFRI) together with the French Navy and alongside the US, UK and Indian counterparts on 25 January.
Although no official statement and details have been released by the Italian MoD and Navy, Naval News understood the IT CSG will visit about ten countries and call in the same number of ports during a deployment which will take it across the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden to reach the Pacific basin and operate in the region for about two months before returning to Italy visiting the South East Asia, India and Middle East.
“The (Cavour) Carrier Strike Group is the most versatile and flexible tool to project power and influence on a global scale, offering a wide range of options of intervention to the political decision maker. Today is also fundamental to control the sea and to keep the sea line of communications open. The CSG is also an instrument of reassurance for the alliance and deterrence to the enemy. The acquisition for Italian Navy of the 5th generation aircraft is a step more in the Italian defence capabilities. We will reach IOC (initial operating capability) during our deployment in the Indo-Pacific region and this would be a really important step. This will allow us to work more and more with our allies. These will allow us to be more interoperable and interchangeable with our allies and to intervene wherever is needed anytime.”
Admiral Enrico Credendino, Italian Navy Chief of Staff
The Cavour aircraft carrier embarks an air (strike) group including both fixed- and rotary-wing platforms, in particular the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning IIs and Boeing AV-8B Harrier II Plus STOVL aircraft belonging to the GRUPAER (Gruppo Aerei Imbarcati) combat fixed-wing unit and NH90 helicopters in service with the Naval Aviation, for a total of more than a dozen assets which, Naval News understood, are expected to increase during the deployment.
The Italian aircraft carrier is escorted by the Alpino Bergamini-class ASW-configured FREMM frigate but during the deployment, the IT CSG will enlarge with the participation of other naval assets belonging to NATO, European Union, allied and visiting countries, based on the agreements reached before the campaign, Naval News understood. Leaving Italy, the IT CSG saw the integration of the Spanish Navy’s Numancia Santa Maria-class and the French Navy’s Aconit La Fayette-class frigates as part of the EUROMARFOR (EMF) force activation. According to the EMF X media, it is the first activation since its establishment 29 years ago with an aircraft carrier, which is also the flagship of the Force. The naval group has also been operating together with the NATO SNMG2 group headed by the Somme replenishment ship of the Marine Nationale, and the Greek Navy’s Themistocles Elli-class frigate and Vlachakos Roussen-class fast attack boat.
In addition to conducting Naval Diplomacy and promoting Made in Italy, during the operational campaign it will interact with NATO, allied and local Navies, Armed Forces and authorities, enforcing cooperation with visited countries, alongside the Italian Navy already operating in the same regions: the school ship Amerigo Vespucci involved in the Globe tour, meeting the IT CSG for the first time in Japan and the Raimondo Montecuccoli PPA Light Plus now called Multipurpose Combat Ship (MCS). The latter is involved in a five-month globe tour and participation in RIMPAC and Pacific Dragon exercises in the Pacific basin.
The IT CSG is involved in a prominently operational deployment as anticipated the campaign will evaluate and qualify the capabilities of the embark component of fifth-generation F-35Bs to reach the Initial Operational Capability by the end of 2024, a significant achievement not only for the Italian Defence but also NATO and the European Carri Group Interoperability Initiative (ECGII). After completing the passing through and visit in the Indian Ocean, the IT CSG will reach the Northern Australia area and Darwin to participate in the important biennial exercise Pitch Black, which will be conducted between mid-July and August beginning. In addition to having the opportunity to fly in a huge training area, the Italian Navy F-35Bs and AV-8Bs will operate together with assets from the Royal Australian Air Force, USMC, South-East Asia, Pacific and European air forces. They will also interact and operate alongside the Italian Air Force combat and support assets including Eurofighters and F-35A/Bs which will also participate in the Exercise Pitch Black.
After the stop in Australia, the IT CSG is expected to operate with the US Armed Forces in the Central Pacific basin before reaching Japan by the end of August, Naval News understood, calling at JMSDF’s Yokosuka naval base. The IT CSG is expected to operate and interact with the JMSDF, sharing the experience developed by the Italian Navy with the F-35B training and operational activities from the Cavour carrier, and potentially interact with the Kaga Izumo-class helicopter carrier which has been recently modified to operate the Lockheed Martin F-35B fighter aircraft.
The IT CSG is expected to then reach the Philippines, Naval News understood and call at Subic Bay, interacting with local Navies. On the way between Japan, the Philippines and the South East Asia, it could meet the Montecuccoli MCS. The IT CGS is expected to then reach the Southeast Asia area, and visit, Naval News understood, Indonesia and Singapore, after which it will call in India to interact with local Navy, and Middle East countries including Oman, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, to reach Italy by the beginning of November.
