<ul class="summary-list"><li>Three times this year, <keyword id="11893896" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="nato" source="Orion">NATO</keyword> has assumed command of members' aircraft carriers for exercises.</li><li>The drills have been meant to practice integrating national forces under alliance command.</li></ul>Three times this year, NATO has assumed command of member navies' aircraft carriers to practice integrating national forces under alliance leadership, an often-overlooked capability that experts and officials say is vital for NATO to operate effectively in wartime.In late January, Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO took command of the <keyword id="13198530" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="uss-harry-s-truman" source="Orion">USS Harry S. Truman</keyword> carrier strike group from the US Navy's Italy-based Sixth Fleet as part of the NATO-led exercise Neptune Strike 2022.That handover "demonstrates the power and cohesiveness of our maritime forces and the NATO alliance," Vice Adm. Gene Black, who commands both Sixth Fleet and Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO, <a href="https://jfcnaples.nato.int/newsroom/news/2022/nato-kicks-off-vigilance-activity-neptune-strike-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> at the time.In mid-May, Black's NATO command again assumed control of the Truman strike group as part of Neptune Shield 2022, which focused on "overcoming the complexities of integrating command and control," according to a <a href="https://sfn.nato.int/newsroom/news-archive/2022/nato-begins-vigilance-activity-neptune-shield-22" target="_blank" rel="noopener">release</a>.<div type="image" title="MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter Cavour aircraft carrier" height="1331" width="2000" msid="91949891" hostid="261"></div>At the end of May, Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO also assumed command of Italian <keyword id="11898296" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="aircraft-carrier" source="Orion">aircraft carrier</keyword> <keyword id="13198531" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="its-cavour" source="Orion">ITS Cavour</keyword> and its strike group, a first for NATO, as part of Neptune Shield.Integrating with Cavour "removes artificial seams between the maritime and air domains," <a href="https://sfn.nato.int/newsroom/news-archive/2022/nato-assumes-the-command-and-control-of-its-cavour-carrier-strike-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> British Royal Navy Rear Adm. James Morley, deputy commander of Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO.The exercises were what NATO called "vigilance activities," which US Air Force Gen. Tod Wolters, the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, <a href="https://sfn.nato.int/newsroom/news-archive/2022/nato-begins-vigilance-activity-neptune-shield-22" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> "strengthen our ability to seamlessly integrate maritime strike capabilities to support deterrence and defence."Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO is unique in that it provides "a separate, direct line of control" from Wolters' command to specific strategic forces, usually carrier strike groups, said Joshua Tallis, a research scientist at CNA, a Virginia-based research and analysis organization.That allows Wolters "to maneuver those high-value units across the theater as a nimble and responsive force in a way that is largely unparalleled" elsewhere in NATO, Tallis, an expert on naval operations, told Insider.<div type="image" title="From right to left, Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), the Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (C 550) and the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (R 91) transit the Mediterranean Sea in formation, Feb. 6, 2022." height="2359" width="3146" msid="91949893" hostid="261"></div>The exercises were also part of Project Neptune, which began in early 2021 <a href="https://sfn.nato.int/newsroom/2021/strikfornato-conducts-project-neptune-with-the-us-sixth-fleet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with the goal</a> of defining the process through which Sixth Fleet and Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO would handle the transition of warships between national and NATO command.Project Neptune activities have strengthened the "resilient, multinational command structure" that is "a critical but easy-to-miss lever of NATO's combat power," Tallis told Insider.Integrating air, sea, and land operations is challenging and depends on "unflashy staff work that can be easy to neglect," Tallis said, adding that such work is harder in the NATO context, in which 30 members have to work with each other and with the alliance's command structure.When command-and-control of US Navy ships shifts to NATO, "back-end staff work" that is critical to that integration "shifts to a different group of people in a different building in a different country," Tallis said. "Doing that well is not a given — hence the value in these demonstrations."<h2>Mastering complexity, building cohesion</h2><div type="image" title="Navy Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier" height="1335" width="2000" msid="91949895" hostid="261"></div>Amid heightened tensions with <keyword id="11894337" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="russia" source="Orion">Russia</keyword> over the past decade, NATO navies have reemphasized <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nato-looks-to-secure-waters-around-europe-amid-russia-tensions-2019-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">being present and capable of operating</a> around Europe, especially in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-nato-russian-militaries-increasingly-active-in-black-sea-2020-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hotspots like the Black Sea</a>. NATO also set up its newest operational-level command, the Virginia-based Joint Forces Command Norfolk, in 2018 to ensure that the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-2nd-fleet-surge-deployment-north-atlantic-russia-tension-2022-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">waters between Europe and North America stay open</a>.The national- and NATO-level interest in improving integration has been evident in recent exercises, many of which prominently featured aircraft carriers.Ships and aircraft from NATO allies accompanied new Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-uk-aircraft-carrier-ends-first-deployment-with-milestones-2021-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on its maiden deployment in 2021</a> and joined the French-led exercise <a href="https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2022/05/feedback-on-french-navy-high-intensity-exercise-polaris/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Polaris</a>, which centered on the aircraft carrier <keyword id="13198532" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="charles-de-gaulle" source="Orion">Charles de Gaulle</keyword>, late last year."Increasingly, NATO allies are expanding their high-end maritime warfighting capabilities by integrating into exercises and carrier strike group deployments," the US Navy <a href="https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/News-Stories/Article/2853335/us-sixth-fleet-joins-frances-polaris-21-exercise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> ahead of the Polaris exercise.In February, Truman and Cavour <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amid-ukraine-tensions-3-nato-navy-carriers-trained-in-mediterranean-2022-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trained with de Gaulle</a> in the Mediterranean to improve "their capacity to work as a cohesive team in defense of national and allied interests," the US Navy <a href="https://www.c6f.navy.mil/Press-Room/News/Article/2925036/american-french-italian-carrier-strike-groups-sail-together-in-the-mediterranea/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.<div type="image" title="F-35 HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier Mount Whitney" height="1125" width="2000" msid="91949896" hostid="261"></div>In March, HMS Queen Elizabeth's sister ship, HMS Prince of Wales — which <a href="https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2022/may/26/220526-hms-prince-of-wales-head-on-atlantic-and-mediterranean-mission" target="_blank" rel="noopener">took over</a> as NATO's command ship in January — <a href="https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2022/march/15/220315-aircraft-carrier-takes-centre-stage-for-arctic-exercises" target="_blank" rel="noopener">led naval forces</a> during Cold Response 2022, the largest military exercise hosted by Norway since the Cold War.Russia's attack on Ukraine in late February has added to tensions in Europe and complicated life for NATO navies.Truman remained in the eastern Mediterranean in the weeks prior to Russia's attack to reassure allies and, after the invasion began, to support alliance members with aerial patrols over Eastern Europe.At the start of the war, Russian warships shadowed US and French carriers in the Mediterranean, Adm. Pierre Vandier, French Navy chief of staff, <a href="https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/Press-Briefings/display-pressbriefing/Article/3026556/first-sea-lords-sea-power-conference-special-session-the-chiefs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in May. The Russian ships included cruisers, frigates, and submarines, "so it was a very complex environment," Vandier said.When Moscow's intentions in Ukraine became clear, work being done for Project Neptune "served as a logical focal point for NATO alliance cohesion and signaling activities" and facilitated "calibrated demonstrations of strength," Tallis told Insider.The project has also highlighted the value of mastering the complexity of "rapidly shifting a large force package," like a carrier strike group, at an especially tense moment, Tallis said. "That capability, and its political implications, have only taken on more urgency in the last three months."

By wielding different navies' aircraft carriers, NATO is showing off an 'easy to miss lever' of combat power

<ul class="summary-list"><li>In early February, <keyword id="12500522" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="aircraft-carriers" source="Orion">aircraft carriers</keyword> from three NATO navies trained in the Mediterranean Sea.</li><li>The rare exercise was meant to demonstrate NATO's ability to integrate its high-end maritime strike capabilities.</li></ul>The first week of February saw the Harry S. Truman carrier strike group train with the French carrier <keyword id="13198532" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="charles-de-gaulle" source="Orion">Charles de Gaulle</keyword>'s Task Force 473 and the Italian carrier Cavour's strike group in the Mediterranean.The US and Italian carrier groups were in the Mediterranean as part of NATO's Neptune Strike exercise, which saw command of the Truman strike group <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nato-allies-multiple-carrier-strike-groups-in-the-mediterranean-2022-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pass from the US Navy's Sixth Fleet to NATO</a>, a significant command-and-control event.Charles de Gaulle's Task Force 473 was participating in <a href="https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2022/02/french-carrier-strike-group-begins-clemenceau-22-deployment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Clemenceau 22</a> a French exercise aimed at increasing interoperability among France's allies and partners.Although the NATO allies frequently conduct joint naval training, this was a rare occasion for the three aircraft carriers to sail alongside each other.<h2>The American powerhouse</h2><div type="image" title="USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier" height="1200" width="2000" msid="89652088" hostid="261"></div>Commissioned in 1998, the <keyword id="13198530" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="uss-harry-s-truman" source="Orion">USS Harry S. Truman</keyword> has conducted combat missions in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars and in the US-led campaign against ISIS.The massive Nimitz-class <keyword id="11898296" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="aircraft-carrier" source="Orion">aircraft carrier</keyword> is nearly 1,100 feet long and displaces 104,000 tons fully loaded. Its usual complement is 3,200 sailors with another 1,800 in its air wing.It is powered by two A4W nuclear reactors — the most powerful reactors used by the US Navy. The reactors can push Truman to speeds of more than 30 knots and give it an operational range limited only by its crew's endurance.The reactors have a life-span of 23 years. Like other carriers, Truman's reactors will need to undergo mid-life refueling to keep operating, though the Navy has <a href="https://news.usni.org/2020/09/17/navy-mulling-extending-service-lives-of-nimitz-class-carriers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">considered</a> skipping that and <a href="https://news.usni.org/2021/03/10/pentagon-mulling-aircraft-carrier-reduction-as-part-of-fy-2022-budget-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cutting the carrier's service life short</a>.Truman can carry roughly 70 fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. It is currently sailing with Carrier Wing One, which has nine squadrons composed of F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornet fighters, EA-18G Growler electronic-warfare aircraft, and E-2D Hawkeye early-warning aircraft, as well as MH-60S Seahawk and MH-60R Seahawk helicopters, which can conduct anti-submarine, anti-surface, and rescue missions. Carrier Wing One also has C-2A Greyhound cargo aircraft.The carrier has a Catapult Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR) system for those fixed-wing aircraft. CATOBAR allows for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-2-of-the-worlds-most-powerful-aircraft-carrier-classes-stack-up-2018-10#whereas-the-cdg-can-carry-a-maximum-of-40-aircraft-such-as-dassault-rafales-dauphins-and-more-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">simultaneous launch and recovery</a> of aircraft, giving Truman significant operational flexibility.Truman's defenses include two RIM-7 Sea Sparrow anti-missile systems, two RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles anti-missile systems, three 20 mm multi-barrel Phalanx CIWS Mark 15 guns, as well as electronic and anti-torpedo countermeasures.<h2>The French flagship</h2><div type="image" title="French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle" height="683" width="1024" msid="89652089" hostid="261"></div>Charles de Gaulle is the flagship of the French navy and the country's only aircraft carrier. Commissioned in 2001, it has seen combat in the Afghanistan and Libyan wars and in Opération Chammal, France's operation against ISIS.It is powered by two K15 pressurized-water nuclear reactors, making it the only non-American nuclear-powered carrier in the world. The K15 reactors give it a speed <a href="https://www.defense.gouv.fr/marine/equipements/batiments-de-combat/porte-avions/charles-de-gaulle-r-91/(language)/fre-FR" target="_blank" rel="noopener">of up to 27 knots</a> and need to be replaced every seven years.Charles de Gaulle is much smaller than its Nimitz-class counterpart, measuring 861 feet and displacing 42,500 tons. It carries a crew of 1,200 with a 600-strong air wing.It can carry 40 fixed and rotary-wing aircraft — most of them <a href="https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/rafale-multirole-combat-fighter/">Rafale fighters</a>. In addition to a small compliment of multipurpose helicopters, it carries two E-2C Hawkeye early-warning aircraft. Charles de Gaulle is also the only non-American aircraft carrier with CATOBAR system.Its defensive measures include two six-cell SADRAL missile launchers that fire Mistral anti-aircraft and anti-missile missiles. It also has four Sylver launchers, each with eight cells, that fire Aster 15 surface-to-air-missiles. In addition, it has eight 20 mm modèle F2 mounted guns.Although it faced <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/1325965/French-calamity-carrier-heads-for-sea-again.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">numerous technical problems</a> during its first years in service, the Charles de Gaulle allows France to project power worldwide.In 2020, French President Emmanuel Macron <a href="https://news.usni.org/2020/12/08/president-macron-announces-start-of-new-french-nuclear-aircraft-carrier-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced plans</a> for a next-generation nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to operate alongside de Gaulle. Construction is set to begin in 2025.<h2>The modern and multifaceted Italian</h2><div type="image" title="Italian Navy aircraft carrier Cavour" height="1333" width="2000" msid="89652090" hostid="261"></div>Cavour is the flagship of the Italian navy and one of Italy's two aircraft carriers. It is conventionally powered, which limits its range to 7,000 nautical miles at 16 knots, though it can reach speeds of 29 knots.With a length of 800 feet and a displacement of 30,000 tons fully loaded, it is the smallest of the three allied carriers.However, it is not a traditional aircraft carrier, as its hangar space can be <a href="https://www.naval-technology.com/projects/num/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">converted to store vehicles</a>, holding 24 main battle tanks or up to 100 lighter infantry vehicles, allowing it to act as a transport ship.Commissioned in 2008, the young flattop has a crew of 450 and can accommodate a 211-person air wing. It has not yet seen combat.It can carry 16 fixed-wing aircraft or about 20 helicopters or a mixture of platforms, but because of its size, its flight deck can only support short take-off and vertical landing aircraft.The Italian navy is replacing its 16 Harriers with 15 F-35Bs. Cavour has already been modernized to operate F-35Bs, and in February 2021, it sailed to Norfolk, Virginia, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/italian-navy-flagship-successfully-completes-sea-trials-with-us-f35bs-2021-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">for initial F-35 certification trials</a>.Cavour's defenses include four eight-cell Sylver launchers firing Aster 15 surface-to-air missiles, two Oto Melara 76 mm Super Rapid guns, three 25 mm anti-aircraft guns, and an electronic-warfare defense system.<h2>A show of unity</h2><div type="image" title="From right to left, Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), the Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (C 550) and the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (R 91) transit the Mediterranean Sea in formation, Feb. 6, 2022." height="2359" width="3146" msid="89652091" hostid="261"></div>Clemenceau 22 will see the French Carrier Task Force sail to Romania's Black Sea port of Constanta to show support for France's NATO ally.However, NATO's Neptune Strike 2022 was not conducted in response to Russia's recent military buildup around <keyword id="11985141" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ukraine" source="Orion">Ukraine</keyword>, as planning for the exercise started in 2020.Neptune Strike was "designed to demonstrate NATO's ability to integrate the high-end maritime strike capabilities of an aircraft carrier strike group to support the deterrence and defense of the alliance," Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in January.Nevertheless, the simultaneous deployment of three aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean sends a powerful message about NATO's capabilities."There are few nations that are able to operate carrier strike groups, and this was a great opportunity to confirm the high level of integration," Rear Adm. Vincenzo Montanaro, commander of the Italian strike group, <a href="https://www.c6f.navy.mil/Press-Room/News/Article/2925036/american-french-italian-carrier-strike-groups-sail-together-in-the-mediterranea/">said</a> this month.Constantine Atlamazoglou works on transatlantic and European security. He holds a master's degree in security studies and European affairs from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

As Russia builds up around Ukraine, NATO navies put 3 different carriers on display. Here's how their flattops stack up.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Two US F-35Bs have landed on the <keyword id="938288" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="italian-navy">Italian Navy</keyword> <keyword id="42406" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="aircraft-carrier">aircraft carrier</keyword> Cavour.</li><li>In the coming weeks, the pilots and test team will collect data to certify that the ship can conduct carrier operations with Italy's own F-35s.</li></ul>Two specially instrumented US F-35Bs from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 (VX-23) at Naval Air Station Patuxent River (NAS Pax River), Maryland, landed aboard <a href="https://theaviationist.com/2020/05/07/watch-this-italian-cavour-aircraft-carrier-passes-through-a-narrow-canal-to-leave-taranto-maritime-military-arsenal/">Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour</a>, off the US East Coast, on March 1, 2021.The flagship of the Marina Militare (Italian Navy) had left Naval Station Norfolk (Virginia) on February 28, in preparation of the four-week sea trials.During the sea trials, the F-35 <a href="https://theaviationist.com/2018/02/02/first-italian-navy-f-35b-has-arrived-at-nas-patuxent-river-after-completing-transatlantic-crossing/">Patuxent River</a> Integrated Test Force (ITF) will verify the compatibility between the 5th-generation fighter aircraft and the <keyword id="10857764" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="its-cavour">ITS Cavour</keyword>. The trials also represent an important step towards declaring the Initial Operation Capability (IOC) of the <keyword id="1824517" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="f-35b">F-35B</keyword> in the Italian Navy, expected by 2024.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Marina Militare (@ItalianNavy) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1366007625620615168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2021</a></blockquote>The landing of the F-35Bs aboard <a href="https://theaviationist.com/2012/01/27/cavour-blue-water-ops/">Cavour</a> was a significant milestone for the Italian naval service, as it prepares to operate the 5th-gen. stealth jet from an aircraft carrier."It is a remarkable achievement for all of us, today, to see the fifth-generation fighter aircraft on our flight deck," said ITS Cavour Commanding Officer Italian Navy Capt. Giancarlo Ciappina in a US DoD release. "This represents, indeed, an outstanding success but, at the same time, a new challenge for the future of Italian Naval Aviation.""Each and every officer and the whole crew are very proud to work closely with the F-35 Joint Program Office test team during these sea trials, and we are very well prepared to do the hard work to equip ITS Cavour and the Italian Navy with the Joint Strike Fighter's fifth-generation air combat capability," Ciappina said.The pilots and aircraft join a test team of approximately 180 personnel from the NAS Pax River-based F-35 Integrated Test Force (ITF) embarked for up to four weeks of sea trials."Our team has trained extensively to prepare for this day, and I was honored to land one of the first two jets aboard Cavour," said F-35B test pilot US Marine Maj. Brad Leeman, the ITF test team project officer. Maj. Leeman and two other pilots attached to the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Two Three (VX-23) at NAS Pax River, will fly the ITF jets during the flight test."The ITF plays a key role in the ship achieving carrier qualification in the near future," Leeman said. "All of our hard work planning and training will ensure a successful sea trial and ultimately lead to Italy achieving the milestone of initial operating capability."<div type="image" title="F-35B ski jump takeoff" height="1334" width="2000" msid="81297000" hostid="261"></div>In the next weeks, the pilots and test team will collect data that will ultimately lead achievement of the "Ready for Operations" status, that certifies the ship's and her crew's ability to safely conduct carrier operations with Italy's own F-35s."We are excited to be underway with the crew of Cavour and honored to contribute to the aircraft carrier achieving the Italian Navy's strategic goal of it being 'Ready for Operations,'" said Andrew Maack, F-35 Pax River ITF chief test engineer and site director.Maack is embarked with the team, whose members have the engineering and test pilot expertise and experience to conduct F-35B envelope expansion flight test. "We look forward to a phenomenally successful shipboard detachment," he said.As already reported, the sea trials will take place in an unspecified area of the Western Atlantic involving other assets, including ships and aircraft from the US 2nd Fleet to improve interoperability and strengthen the relationship between the two NATO Allies.Here's what we wrote about the testing campaign in our <a href="https://theaviationist.com/2021/02/19/italian-navy-cavour-aircraft-carrier-arrived-at-naval-station-norfolk-in-preparation-for-the-f-35b-certification/">previous article on the deployment</a>:<blockquote class="blockquote"><section class="blockquote-wrapper">"The test campaign should be pretty similar to the HMS Queen Elizabeth's Westlant 18 deployment in 2018 (followed by Westlant 19 a year later with British jets), when the two F-35Bs from the ITF flew on and off the ship in eight weeks of intensive trials, testing the integration of the aircraft aboard the ship, the logistics, simulated combat operations and emergencies. It is not known if the new <a href="https://theaviationist.com/2018/10/15/uk-f-35b-performs-worlds-first-shipborne-rolling-vertical-landing-during-hms-queen-elizabeth-trials/">Shipborne Rolling Vertical Landing</a> (SRVL) will be tested on the ITS Cavour, as happened on the British aircraft carrier.""The rolling technique is intended to allow pilots to recover to the ship with more stores: the combination of thrust from its rotating nozzle, lift-fan and lift generated by the wing as an effect of the (slow) forward movement of the aircraft <a href="https://www.savetheroyalnavy.org/aviation-history-made-aboard-hms-queen-elizabeth/">can save up to 7000lbs greater all up weight (UAW)</a>. Without the SRVL technique, the F-35B would be forced to jettison some or all of its external store when returning to the ship.""Following the end of the sea trials, the ITS Cavour will be involved in the carrier qualification of the six Italian Naval Aviators that completed their transition on the F-35B at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort (South Carolina). After the ship's return in Italy, the Italian Navy is planning to perform the first flight activities with an Italian F-35B from the Cavour. The aircraft to be used will be the fourth F-35B built in Italy and the third to be delivered to the Navy. As we mentioned in previous articles, the first two aircraft built went to the Navy and are now in Beaufort for pilot training, while the third one was <a href="https://theaviationist.com/2020/02/26/third-italian-f-35b-goes-to-the-italian-air-force-and-the-italian-navy-is-not-happy-at-all/">delivered to the Air Force</a>."</section></blockquote>

F-35Bs with special instruments are testing whether the advanced jet can operate on the Italian navy flagship

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia <keyword id="20065298" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="meloni" source="keywords">Meloni</keyword> has shared a video of herself alongside Prime Minister Narendra <keyword id="19899684" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="modi" source="keywords">Modi</keyword> during the recently concluded <keyword id="21430934" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="G7-Summit" source="keywords">G7 Summit</keyword> meeting in Italy. Meloni took to her social media platforms to share the reel in which she says "Hello from the Melodi team" as <keyword id="19899320" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="PM-Modi" source="keywords">PM Modi</keyword> waves at the camera. The two leaders are seen to share a laugh in the video posted by Meloni on social media platforms, including X and Instagram . Meloni wrote, "Hi friends, from #Melodi." The hashtag became one among the top trending items on X. PM Modi and his Italian counterpart, Meloni, also clicked a selfie on the sidelines of the G7 summit that concluded in Italy on Friday. The camaraderie between the two leaders, who met previously at the G20 Summit in Delhi last year and then at the COP28 in Dubai, has spawned several online memes. In December last year, the two leaders clicked a selfie on the sidelines of the COP28 in Dubai. While sharing the picture with PM Modi on X, Meloni had stated, "Good friends at COP28, #Melodi."Photographs of the two leaders together have been shared widely on online platforms with the hashtags "Melodi" becoming a trending topic. During the <keyword id="20127767" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bilateral-meeting" source="keywords">bilateral meeting</keyword> on the sidelines of the G7 Summit, PM Modi and Meloni discussed defence and security cooperation between the two countries. "The two sides discussed bilateral defence and security cooperation and hoped for further enhancing the defence industrial collaboration. They welcomed the forthcoming visit of the Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour and training ship ITS Vespucci to India later this year," the Ministry of External Affairs said in an official release. Moreover, PM Modi also thanked the Italian Government for recognising the Indian Army's contribution to the Italian Campaign during World War II and informed that "India will be upgrading the Yashwant Ghadge Memorial at Montone in Italy." PM Modi and his Italian counterpart noted with satisfaction the regular higher political dialogue and reviewed the progress of the India-Italy Strategic Partnership. Meloni also congratulated PM Modi for his third consecutive term as Prime Minister. While expressing happiness at growing trade and economic collaboration, they called for expanding commercial ties in clean energy, manufacturing, Space, S&amp;T, telecom, AI and critical minerals to build resilient supply chains. In this context, they welcomed the recent signing of a MoU on Industrial Property Rights (IPR) which provides a framework for cooperation on patents, designs and trademarks," the MEA release read. During the meeting, the two leaders welcomed the signing of the Letter of Intent for Cooperation in Energy Transition, which will boost bilateral cooperation in clean and green energy. It was taken note of under the 'Global Biofuels Alliance'. "They expressed happiness at the new Executive Programme of Cooperation for 2025-27 to promote joint research and development in Science and Technology," the MEA said. Sharing details regarding her meeting with Meloni, PM Modi stated, "Had a very good meeting with PM @GiorgiaMeloni. Thanked her for inviting India to be a part of the G7 Summit and for the wonderful arrangements. We discussed ways to further cement India-Italy relations in areas like commerce, energy, defence, telecom and more. Our nations will work together in futuristic areas like biofuels, food processing and critical minerals." Notably, PM Modi attended the G7 Summit in Apulia, Italy, at the invitation of <keyword id="20800487" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Italian-PM-Meloni" source="keywords">Italian PM Meloni</keyword>. It was India's 11th and PM Modi's fifth consecutive participation at the G7 Summit. The G7 summit, where India was invited as an 'Outreach Country,' had participation from the seven member countries, the US, UK, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, and France, as well as the European Union. It was India's 11th and PM Modi's fifth consecutive participation at the G7 Summit. PM Modi on Saturday shared highlights from his participation in the G7 Summit at Italy and said that he presented India's perspective on the world stage.A video shared by PM Modi shows glimpses of the highlights of his visit to Italy including his arrival in Italy to Italian PM Giorgia Meloni's welcome at the venue of the G7 Summit in Apulia city in Italy. Meloni greeted PM Modi with a 'namaste' and the two leaders then posed for a picture for the cameras.The video showed moments from PM Modi's bilateral meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Japanese PM Fumio Kishida and French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the G7 Summit. In the video, PM Modi can be seen interacting with Pope Francis and they held talks while walking together. PM Modi also interacted with other world leaders, including US President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as well as the President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. He also held talks with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as they met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit. The video also included the moment of PM Meloni clicking a selfie with PM Modi. Sharing the video on his X platform, PM Modi wrote, "An important G7 Summit, where I presented India's perspective at the world stage. Here are highlights." SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/hyundai-motor-india-files-draft-papers-with-sebi-for-indias-biggest-ipo/articleshow/111014559.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/hyundai-motor-india-files-draft-papers-with-sebi-for-indias-biggest-ipo/articleshow/111014559.cms" target="_blank">Hyundai Motor India files draft papers with SEBI for India’s biggest IPO</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/tata-group-reportedly-looking-to-acquire-a-majority-stake-in-vivo-india/articleshow/110987274.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/tata-group-reportedly-looking-to-acquire-a-majority-stake-in-vivo-india/articleshow/110987274.cms" target="_blank">Tata Group reportedly looking to acquire a majority stake in Vivo India</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/webstories/kkr-beats-mi-in-terms-of-brand-value-csk-and-rcb-continue-to-lead/slidelist/110963926.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/webstories/kkr-beats-mi-in-terms-of-brand-value-csk-and-rcb-continue-to-lead/slidelist/110963926.cms" target="_blank">KKR beats MI in terms of brand value, CSK and RCB continue to lead</a>

"Hello from Melodi team": Italian PM Giorgia Meloni shares video with PM Narendra Modi

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Italy's military is focusing on expeditionary capabilities amid rising tension in the Mediterranean.</li><li>The goal is a force that can deploy quickly, operate across domains, and interoperate with allies.</li></ul>At the end of August, two F-35Bs of the Italian Air Force and Navy <a href="https://theaviationist.com/2022/09/01/austere-runway-exercise-alghero/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">conducted</a> an austere runway exercise at an airport on Sardinia's northwestern coast.The exercise was meant to test the ability of Italy's fixed-wing combat aircraft to land on and operate from shorter runways in hostile or semi-permissive environments. It also took place a few months before Italy's navy <a href="https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/naval-warfare/italy-readies-lhd-trieste-for-2023-delivery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is expected</a> to commission its newest amphibious assault ship, <a href="https://www.seaforces.org/marint/Italian-Navy/Amphibious-Ship/L-9890-ITS-Trieste.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ITS Trieste</a>.The drills and the new ship are the latest signs of the Italian military's increasing focus on developing expeditionary capabilities — an interest that has grown amid rising tensions across the Mediterranean region.<h2>Protecting NATO's southern flank</h2><div type="image" title="Italian soldier Joint Forces Command in Naples" height="1127" width="1520" msid="94789875" hostid="261" sizebytes="46340"></div>While often overshadowed by Europe's other major military powers, Italy is an important part of NATO's defense posture.Its forces are vital in protecting NATO's southern flank in the Mediterranean, which Italy <a href="https://cepa.org/article/rome-alone-italys-mediterranean-defense-strategy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defines</a> as stretching from the Persian Gulf across the Sahel to the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa.Roughly 40% of global maritime trade transits the Mediterranean, which is also crisscrossed by <a href="https://www.submarinecablemap.com/submarine-cable/eutope-india-gateway-eig" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dozens of undersea cables</a> that are vital to the flow of information and communications.Italy and its neighbors are also expected to dramatically increase their imports of oil and gas from North Africa and the Middle East, which flow across the Mediterranean by ship and pipeline, as Europe tries to end its dependency on Russian energy.<div type="image" title="Russia navy Veliky Ustyug Tartus Syria" height="933" width="1400" msid="94789878" hostid="261" sizebytes="104406"></div>The Mediterranean is also central to Italian security. Terrorists and non-state actors operating out of the Middle East and North Africa still pose threats, and Russia's increased <a href="https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2022/02/unusual-russian-navy-concentration-seen-in-eastern-mediterranean/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">naval presence</a>, supported by its base at Tartus in Syria, forces Italy to be on constant alert.Italy is also an important part of NATO's military industrial base. The country is home to world-leading defense firms — including Beretta, Fincantieri, and Leonardo — and produces some of the most capable ships, aircraft, and small arms in service.With 161,550 troops, Italy <a href="https://www.iiss.org/publications/the-military-balance/the-military-balance-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has</a> the fifth-largest standing military in NATO, and Rome is the fourth-largest defense spender in Europe, according to the International Institute of Strategic Studies. (IISS rankings for Europe do not include Russia, which is placed in a separate region.)<h2>ITS Trieste</h2><div type="image" title="Italy navy amphibious ship Trieste" height="840" width="2000" msid="94789881" hostid="261" sizebytes="118028"></div>ITS Trieste is the largest warship Italy has built since World War II. It is 803 feet long and displaces over 30,000 tons. It has two command islands, a ski-jump ramp, a deck with a special coating to withstand exhaust from jet engines, and a top speed of 25 knots.Designed as an amphibious assault ship, Trieste will be able to carry some 600 troops, about a dozen armored vehicles, and multiple landing craft that can enter and exit the ship through a floodable well deck. The ship's load capacity is about 30 tons, according to its builder, Fincantieri.Trieste's air wing is expected to be made up of 12 helicopters — likely a combination of <a href="https://www.seaforces.org/marint/Italian-Navy/Aviation/EH-101-Helicopter.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AW101s</a>, <a href="https://www.seaforces.org/marint/Italian-Navy/Aviation/NH-90-Helicopter.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SH90As</a> and <a href="https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/aw129-helicopter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AW129Ds</a> — or a combination of helicopters and F-35Bs.<div type="image" title="Truman Cavour Juan Carlos aircraft carrier" height="690" width="920" msid="94789884" hostid="261" sizebytes="44874"></div>Italy's air force and navy both operate the F-35B, the short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing version of the F-35. The navy currently has three F-35Bs in service and the Air Force two. (Italy's air force also has 14 F-35As in service). Each branch will <a href="https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2022/09/21/joint-but-separate-italy-navy-air-force-settle-on-f-35b-plan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eventually have</a> 15 F-35Bs that will train and operate together.Trieste will be the Italian navy's third carrier. The first, <a href="https://www.seaforces.org/marint/Italian-Navy/Aircraft-Carrier/C-551-ITS-Giuseppe-Garibaldi.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi</a>, was commissioned in 1985 and took part in operations in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Libya. The second, <a href="http://www.military-today.com/navy/cavour.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ITS Cavour</a>, was commissioned in 2008 and is the navy's current flagship.Italy's navy may retire or <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2021/03/17/italys-extra-aircraft-carrier-could-become-a-floating-space-base/?sh=1a34f6bf3f39" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reconfigure</a> Giuseppe Garibaldi after Trieste is commissioned, which is <a href="https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/naval-warfare/italy-readies-lhd-trieste-for-2023-delivery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expected</a> to be early next year. Italian navy and air force F-35s have already <a href="https://theaviationist.com/2021/11/22/italian-air-force-f-35b-cavour/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">operated together</a> aboard Cavour.<h2>Modernization</h2><div type="image" title="German soldiers look at an Italian F-35 fighter jet" height="1333" width="2000" msid="94789886" hostid="261" sizebytes="142544"></div>Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine spurred many NATO members, including Italy, to <a href="https://breakingdefense.com/2022/03/seven-european-nations-have-increased-defense-budgets-in-one-month-who-will-be-next/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increase their defense budgets</a>. While eyes remain on Ukraine, Italy is keen to point out that the Mediterranean remains worthy of NATO's attention."The marked increase in unfriendly naval activity in the Mediterranean indicates that we should not lose sight of this geopolitical area," Adm. Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, Italy's chief of defense, <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/future-italys-armed-forces" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> at an event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in May.Dragone said that the Mediterranean "remains as dangerous today as it always has been and a flashpoint of conflict and regional instability that affects us all."Italy plans to meet NATO's goal of spending 2% of its GDP on defense by 2028, according to Dragone, with spending on its army being the priority.<div type="image" title="Italian navy flag logistics ship Vulcano" height="1334" width="2000" msid="94789887" hostid="261" sizebytes="251626"></div>Italy's navy also has major modernization plans.It intends to acquire at least seven <a href="https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2022/03/fincantieri-delivers-first-ppa-thaon-di-revel-to-italian-navy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thaon di Revel-class</a> offshore patrol vessels and has begun work on its second <a href="https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2022/07/fincantieri-cuts-steel-of-second-lss-for-italian-navy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vulcano-class logistic support ship</a>, the first of which was commissioned last year. It also has plans for <a href="https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2020/11/09/italy-plans-new-destroyers-for-2028-delivery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new destroyers</a> and a <a href="https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/naval-warfare/italian-documents-shed-light-on-project-to-replace-san-giorgio-class-lpds/'" target="_blank" rel="noopener">replacement</a> for its three San Giorgio-class amphibious transport dock.The Italians aim to create a military that can deploy quickly, operate in multiple domains, and be interoperable across its own branches and <a href="https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2022/09/french-navy-and-italian-navy-ink-partnership-for-fremm-frigates/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with its allies</a>."The Mediterranean is very crowded," with state and non-state actors both "coming in," Dragone said. "In the Mediterranean, we depend 92% on data and oil by submarine cables and ducts, and we have to defend them."

With Russia lurking on NATO's southern flank, Italy is working on new jets and new carriers to keep an eye on things

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Allies <keyword id="11964539" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="france" source="Orion">France</keyword>, <keyword id="11905554" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="italy" source="Orion">Italy</keyword>, and the US conducted joint naval exercises in the Mediterranean recently.</li><li>The joint drills were a show of strength among allies, the US Navy said.</li></ul>Three <keyword id="11893896" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="nato" source="Orion">NATO</keyword> allies — France, Italy, and the United States — have been conducting joint naval exercises together in the Mediterranean Sea, showing the strength of their partnership with three aircraft carrier strike groups.The US' Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, France's Charles de Gaulle Task Force 473, and Italy's Cavour strike group trained together from February 6 to 7. "The capabilities of a US aircraft carrier strike group are made stronger by operating alongside our allies and partners," US Navy Rear Adm. Curt Renshaw, the commander of Carrier Strike Group Eight, <a href="https://www.c6f.navy.mil/Press-Room/News/Article/2925036/american-french-italian-carrier-strike-groups-sail-together-in-the-mediterranea/">said in a press release</a>.The Italian carrier strike group commander said in a statement that the joint exercise was a chance to "collectively enhance our capabilities, demonstrate the strength of our alliance and increase the interoperability with our partners" while the French commander called the training "essential to <keyword id="11897120" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="europe" source="Orion">Europe</keyword> security in this strategic area."<div type="image" title="From right to left, Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), the Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (C 550) and the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (R 91) transit the Mediterranean Sea in formation, Feb. 6, 2022." height="2136" width="4272" msid="89415283" hostid="261"></div>Though it was planned in advance, this exercise comes amid increased military activity around Europe and as tensions between <keyword id="11894337" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="russia" source="Orion">Russia</keyword> and the West over Ukraine persist.Russia has moved tens of thousands of troops along Ukraine's border, NATO allies are moving troops and equipment to bolster the alliance's eastern flank, and several big military exercises have been conducted recently or are expected in the near future.For instance, the NATO alliance recently concluded its <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nato-sends-warships-and-fighter-jets-to-eastern-europe-as-tensions-with-russia-rise-2022-1">Neptune Strike</a> exercise on February 4. The exercise was the first time NATO has commanded a full US carrier strike group since the Cold War, the alliance said in a <a href="https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_191063.htm?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=natopress&amp;utm_campaign=20220124_neptune_strike">news release,</a> signaling its heightened readiness.This major naval exercise involved both the carrier Harry S. Truman and the Cavour. Russian vessels shadowed participating US ships, <a href="https://www.stripes.com/branches/navy/2022-02-03/nato-officials-confirm-russian-observation-of-exercise-4591209.html">Stars and Stripes reported</a>.During the exercise, Department of Defense press secretary John Kirby told reporters the carrier group will "demonstrate NATO's ability to integrate the high-end maritime strike capabilities of an aircraft carrier strike group to support the deterrence and defense of the alliance." Kirby also said the demonstration was not a direct response to recent Russian aggressions at the Ukrainian border and had been in the works for over a year. <div type="image" title="The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CV 75) conducts flight operations in the Mediterranean Sea in support of Neptune Strike 2022, Feb. 3" height="1500" width="1000" msid="89415284" hostid="261"></div>These Western exercises come as Russia carries out a massive military build-up near Ukraine, which Moscow denies having plans to attack or invade.And <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-hold-major-navy-drills-involving-all-its-fleets-2022-01-20/">Russian Ministry of Defense announced</a> late last month that Russia has also been moving to conduct sweeping military drills involving all its fleets from the Pacific to the Atlantic, including in the Mediterranean Sea.

3 NATO allies sent carrier strike groups into the Mediterranean for joint drills amid elevated tensions in Europe

<ul class="summary-list"><li>NATO carrier strike groups are patrolling waters around Europe.</li><li>One of the five groups operating in the area is led by the US Navy's newest supercarrier.</li></ul>Five NATO aircraft carrier strike groups are patrolling the waters around Europe, highlighting naval cooperation and the capacity for significant naval operations within the military alliance, the US Navy said. Participating flattops include the US Navy's USS George H.W. Bush and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/carrier-uss-gerald-r-ford-finally-deploying-for-first-time-2022-10">Gerald R. Ford</a>, the service's newest supercarrier, the British Royal Navy's HMS Queen Elizabeth, France's Charles De Gaulle, and Italy's ITS Cavour. The strike groups, which include not just carriers but their escorts as well, are carrying out routine patrol missions in the Atlantic Ocean, North Sea, and Mediterranean Sea.The Ford, the first of a new class of aircraft carrier, set sail on its maiden deployment in October equipped with a suite of new technologies intended to make it more capable than its Nimitz-class predecessors.When the ship deployed, Rear Adm. Gregory Huffman, commander of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, <a href="https://www.c2f.usff.navy.mil/Press-Room/News-Stories/Article/3175104/uss-gerald-r-ford-set-to-depart-on-first-deployment/">said</a> that the "deployment is an opportunity to push the ball further down the field and demonstrate the advantage that Ford and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 bring to the future of naval aviation, to the region and to our allies and partners."The Navy said in a Thursday <a href="https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/News-Stories/Article/3221647/five-allied-carrier-strike-groups-patrol-waters-in-natos-area-of-operations/">statement</a> on the carrier operations that each country has its own mission objectives and that it is not uncommon for multiple carrier strike groups to be deployed at the same time since NATO countries maintain a continued presence in waters around Europe. "These operations present an opportunity for allied nations to coordinate credible combat power throughout the Euro-Atlantic area while showcasing NATO cohesion and interoperability," Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters at a Thursday briefing.She added that the patrolling "is also an opportunity to test allied cooperation and to practice NATO's 'deter and defend' concept across all geographic areas, operational domains and functional areas of the Alliance."The deter and defend concept referenced by Singh is a nod to NATO's "staunch commitment to collective defense" through integrating and planning military activities to counter any threat, <a href="https://shape.nato.int/news-archive/2022/deter-and-defend-an-overview#:~:text='Deter%20and%20Defend'%20reinforces%20NATO's,populations%2C%20territory%2C%20and%20values.">according to the </a><a href="https://shape.nato.int/news-archive/2022/deter-and-defend-an-overview#:~:text='Deter%20and%20Defend'%20reinforces%20NATO's,populations%2C%20territory%2C%20and%20values.">alliance</a>. "NATO routinely demonstrates its cohesion, coordinating with multiple international maritime assets at once," commander of the NATO Allied Maritime Command Vice Admiral Keith Blount said in the Navy's statement. "This opportunity demonstrates our ironclad commitment to the stability and security of the Euro-Atlantic Area and the strength of our collective capability.""Five carriers within our operating area presents a further opportunity to consolidate our approach to air defence, cross-domain cooperation and maritime-land integration," he continued.While these operations are regularly scheduled activities and not necessarily a response to Russia's unprovoked war against Ukraine, they come at a time where increased Russian aggression has threatened European and NATO security. Earlier this week, a deadly explosion was reported in eastern Poland, just over the border with Ukraine, in what marked the first time that the conflict spilled into the territory of a NATO country. The incident triggered an alarmed response from some members of the military alliance and also from top Ukrainian officials who blamed the blast on Russia despite indications it may have been unintentionally caused by a Ukrainian surface-to-air missile amid a Russian barrage of Ukraine's cities.NATO has not blamed Ukraine though, with alliance leadership stressing that "Russia bears ultimate responsibility as it continues its illegal war against Ukraine."

5 NATO carrier strike groups, including the US Navy's newest supercarrier, are patrolling waters around Europe

<ul class="summary-list"><li>In fall 1940, the British faced a dire situation in the Mediterranean, where <keyword id="21474" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Italy">Italy</keyword>'s large fleet posed an acute threat.</li><li>To neutralize that threat, the British navy mounted a daring aerial attack on the Italian ships while they sat in port.</li><li>The success of the raid at <keyword id="2587701" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Taranto">Taranto</keyword> allowed the British to dominate the Mediterranean and gave the Japanese an idea for a similar attack on the US a year later.</li></ul>By early spring 1941, Japanese military strategists were hard at work planning their blitz into Southeast Asia. The planners, especially Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto, knew this expansion was only possible if Western countries, particularly the US, were unable to resist.<keyword id="6355311" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="japan">Japan</keyword> needed to ensure the US Navy's Pacific Fleet could not interfere. Japanese officials decided on a surprise attack on US Navy ships at <keyword id="65011" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Pearl-Harbor">Pearl Harbor</keyword>, knocking them out and buying time for to achieve their other objectives.Though ambitious, Yamamoto had good reason to believe the attack would succeed: A little over a year earlier, the British conducted a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Attack-Taranto-Thomas-P-Lowry/dp/0811726614" target="_top">similar attack</a> on the Italian navy at the port of Taranto.The British operation — the first all-aircraft ship-to-ship naval attack in history — crippled Italy's navy and proved that torpedo attacks on ships in port were possible.<h2>Italy's imposing fleet</h2><div type="image" title="Taranto Italy navy battleships" height="2720" width="2500" msid="79140304" hostid="261"></div>The situation in the Mediterranean was quite tense for the British by fall 1940.The North Africa Campaign against the Nazis was also well underway, but France's surrender to Germany in June meant Britain no longer had the French navy's support. Italy also invaded Greece in October that year, further pressuring the British. (The Germans joined Italy's side in Greece in early 1941, eventually forcing a British retreat.)The Royal Navy's small Mediterranean force faced Italy's Regia Marina — then the fourth largest navy in the world. The British were stretched thin, and getting supplies to Malta, an island strategically located in the middle of the Mediterranean, was proving difficult.Particularly worrisome for the British was the Italian fleet at the port of Taranto in southeastern Italy. It included all of Italy's six battleships as well as 16 cruisers and 13 destroyers.Despite numerical superiority, the Regia Marina declined to meet the British in a decisive, large-scale engagement. This forced the Royal Navy to always operate as a single unit, fearing that if its forces split, they could be picked off.The British decided they had to take the fight directly to the Italians.<h2>A first-of-its-kind operation</h2><div type="image" title="British Royal Navy aircraft carrier" height="1713" width="2500" msid="79140305" hostid="261"></div>The British selected Taranto as a potential target before the war had even begun, deciding that a night-time air raid would be the most effective attack. The plan called for the carriers HMS Illustrious and HMS Eagle and their escorts to sail with a convoy to Malta to deceive the Italians.The carriers would then sail to a point 170 miles from Taranto, where 32 Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers — an old fabric-covered biplane widely considered obsolete — would launch in two waves to attack the Italian warships with torpedoes and bombs.The Swordfish were modified with an additional fuel tank, which took the place of one of the three crew members. Some also carried flares to light the area for other pilots.This would be the first time enemy ships were attacked in port by torpedo bombers, which was considered impossible due to a port's shallow waters and the hundreds of machine and anti-aircraft guns that were usually present.The attack was scheduled for October 21 but was delayed by a fire aboard Illustrious. Eagle's fuel system also suffered failures that prevented it from joining the attack.<h2>The attack</h2><div type="image" title="British Royal Navy Swordfish bomber" height="1673" width="2500" msid="79140306" hostid="261"></div>The attack was rescheduled for November 11, with the British force sailing from Alexandria on November 6. With Eagle out, the strike force was reduced to 21 Swordfish, five of which were transferred from Eagle.The first wave of 12 aircraft arrived just before 11:00 p.m. In a stroke of luck, the Italians had removed some of their torpedo nets because of a scheduled gunnery exercise. The remaining nets didn't reach the harbor floor, meaning British torpedoes could pass under them.Half the Swordfish carried torpedoes and the other half bombs. After flares were dropped, the harbor erupted in anti-aircraft fire. The Swordfish flew at near-wave height, forcing the Italians to risk shooting their own ships.The first wave hit two battleships with torpedoes. A number of cruisers and destroyers were also hit with bombs, and a nearby oil-storage facility and seaplane base were also attacked. One Swordfish was shot down and its crew captured.The second wave of nine aircraft arrived almost an hour later. They torpedoed a third battleship and hit one of the previously damaged ones. Another Swordfish was shot down, killing its crew. Other planes carrying bombs hit several other ships, causing various degrees of damage.<h2>A crippled fleet and a blueprint for Japan</h2><div type="image" title="Taranto Italy navy battleship Littorio" height="864" width="1567" msid="79140307" hostid="261"></div>The attack crippled Italy's navy. Three battleships — Littorio, Caio Duilio, and Conte di Cavour — were resting on the harbor floor. Littorio and Caio Duilio would take months to repair, while Conte di Cavour never returned to service.Two cruisers and two destroyers were also damaged, over 50 sailors were killed, 600 were wounded, and the oil facility was wrecked.In just two hours, a handful of obsolete British torpedo bombers disabled half of Italy's battleships. The rest were forced to operate out of ports farther north, making them less of a threat to the Royal Navy, which now dominated the Mediterranean.Prime Minister Winston Churchill told Parliament <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Air-Power-in-the-Maritime-Environment-The-World-Wars/Gates-Jones/p/book/9781315566306" target="_top">in a speech</a> that the attack "carries with it reactions upon the naval situation in every quarter of the globe."Within days of the attack, Lt. Takeshi Naito, an assistant air attaché at the Japanese Embassy in Berlin, arrived in Taranto to investigate. A larger Japanese military delegation followed in the spring and made an extensive report.A little more than a month before Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, Naito met with Cmdr. Mitsuo Fuchida, who would lead the air attack on the US base. They discussed Taranto at length.After the war, Naito recalled "the most difficult problem [at Pearl Harbor] was launching torpedoes in shallow water. The British Navy attacked the Italian fleet at Taranto, and I owe very much for this lesson in shallow-water launching."The US Navy also had an expert at Taranto. Lt. Cmdr. John Opie, an assistant naval attaché at the US Embassy in London, was actually aboard Illustrious as an observer during the attack.Opie quickly wrote a report and even requested to visit Pearl Harbor to discuss what he had learned. But his requests were ignored, and in December 1941, Japan would conduct their own Taranto, sinking or damaging 19 US Navy ships and killing more than 2,000 Americans at Pearl Harbor.

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