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HomeNews UpdateItalian carrier battle group arrives in Singapore as part of Indo-Pacific operational campaign

Italian carrier battle group arrives in Singapore as part of Indo-Pacific operational campaign

June 25, 2024
Italian carrier battle group arrives in Singapore as part of Indo-Pacific operational campaign

Cavour Indo-Pacific
The ITS Cavour is being refueled by the logistics ship Vulcano at the same time as the destroyer Caio Duilio. (Image credit: Italian Navy)

ITS Cavour left port earlier this month for a five-month cruise that will enable the aircraft carrier to work with several regional partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Italian Navy quietly deployed its Carrier Strike Group (CSG) to the Indo-Pacific region earlier this month. Today, the Navy announced the arrival of the 31st Naval Group, as the core of the CSG, consisting of the ITS Cavour and the frigate ITS Alpino FREMM, is called, for a logistical stopover in Singapore.

Both ships left their home port in Taranto on 1 June 2024, shortly after the end of the multidisciplinary exercise Mare Aperto 2024, which also saw the operational certification of the CSG and its air component. However, the Italian Ministry of Defence and Navy did not provide any official statements or details on the deployment. Marine News reported that the cruise will last five months and the plane will visit ten countries.

Marine News also reported on a statement by the Chief of Staff of the Italian Navy, Admiral Enrico Credendino, who mentioned the deployment in the Indo-Pacific region during the Conference Navale de Paris.

“The (Cavour) Carrier Strike Group is the most versatile and flexible tool to demonstrate power and influence on a global scale, offering policymakers a wide range of intervention options. Today it is also fundamental to control the sea and keep the maritime lines of communication open. The CSG is also a tool to reassure the Alliance and deter the enemy. The acquisition of 5th generation aircraft for the Italian Navy is a further step towards Italian defense capabilities. We will reach IOC (Initial Operating Capability) during our deployment in the Indo-Pacific region and that would be a really important step. This will allow us to work more and more with our allies. This will allow us to be more interoperable and interchangeable with our allies, and to intervene whenever and wherever necessary.”

31. Marine Group and the CSG

The core of the Carrier Strike Group, as mentioned above, is made up of the 31st Naval Group, which also includes the ITS Cavour and the ITS Alpino. The two ships will be complemented during the cruise by allied ships that will be integrated into the CSG, although the composition will change over time.

The flagship of the Marina Militare (Italian Navy), the ITS Cavour is configured for STOVL (Short Take Off Vertical Landing) operations and has six places for simultaneous operations and eight places on the flight deck. The hangar can accommodate 12 helicopters or eight combat aircraft, or a combination of both.

Launched in 2004, the 27,000-ton ship later completed the necessary maintenance and modernization to accommodate and operate the F-35B Lightning II. The 5th generation aircraft is gradually replacing the older AV-8B+ Harrier II, with both types assigned to the same squadron, the GRUPAER Lupi (Italian for “wolves”).

The ITS Alpino is a FREMM (European Multi-Mission Frigate) and part of a Franco-Italian program that gave rise to the Bergamini class for Italy and the Aquitaine class for France. Alpino is specifically configured for anti-submarine warfare (ASW), but also has advanced anti-air warfare (AAW) capabilities.

Components of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Group (IKECSG), the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Laboon (DDG 58) and USS Gravely (DDG 107), sail in formation with the Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (CVH 550), the Carlo Bergamini-class frigate ITS Alpino (F 594) and the Horizon-class frigate FS Forbin (D 620) in the Red Sea, June 7. The IKECSG is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of ​​operations in support of maritime stability and security in the Middle East. (Official Italian Navy photo)

Shortly after leaving port, the CSG was joined by the Spanish frigate Numancia and the French frigate Aconit as part of EUROMARFOR (European Maritime Force), of which ITS Cavour is the flagship. The group later operated with the French Somme supply ship and the Greek frigate Themistocles and a Vlachakos Roussen-class fast boat as part of NATO SNMG2 (Standing NATO Maritime Group 2).

After leaving the Mediterranean, the CSG reunited with the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, the destroyers USS Laboon and USS Gravely, and the French destroyer Forbin in the Red Sea. The ships conducted a PHOTEX (photo exercise) in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of ​​operations before the Italian ships resumed their voyage.

The CSG is also expected to meet the Italian training ship Amerigo Vespucci, which is currently on a world tour, and the patrol ship Raimondo Montecuccoli PPA in Japan.

The use

This operational campaign is designed to evaluate and qualify the capabilities of the air component, with the F-35B achieving initial operational capability at the end of the deployment. After transiting the Indian Ocean, the CSG will reach Australia for one of the campaign’s major events, the biennial exercise Pitch Black.

The 2024 edition, scheduled to take place from July 12 to August 2, is expected to be the largest in the exercise’s 43-year history. In fact, 21 international participants and over 140 aircraft from around the world will participate, with approximately 4,435 people participating.

The Italian Navy will also be supported by the Air Force for the occasion. In fact, the Chief of Staff of the Aeronautica Militare, General Luca Goretti, said in an interview last year that the ItAF, in collaboration with the Italian Navy, would send nearly 25 jets to Australia for Exercise Pitch Black, including Eurofighter F-2000, F-35A and F-35B.

Thanks to the increased cooperation with the Navy, F-35Bs from both services will participate in the exercise together from the aircraft carrier ITS Cavour, as they have done several times in the Mediterranean. This will also be an opportunity to review the issues and preparations required to fly non-stop from Europe to the Indo-Pacific if necessary.

The CSG is expected to spend a total of two months in the region, visiting Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia and other countries in Southeast Asia, India and the Middle East before returning to Italy in November.

The Cavour Air Force

Since there are no official details of the operation, we cannot have a full idea of ​​the composition of the ITS Cavour carrier squadron. The air component consists of a mix of AV-8B+ and F-35B fighter jets, and a mix of NH90 and EH101 helicopters.

The photos released so far, namely a photo of the ship leaving port, a photo from NATO SNMG2 and the photos from PHOTEX in the Red Sea, show four F-35Bs and six Harriers on board, including the two-seater TAV-8B. Helicopters were not immediately visible, but at least one NH90 and one EH101 were visible on deck, but more are expected in the hangars.

At least one more helicopter is likely to be found on the ITS Alpino, which can accommodate two helicopters in its hangars and flight deck. Furthermore, with Air Force and Navy F-35Bs scheduled to operate together during Exercise Pitch Black, it is expected that the Air Force’s fighter jets will be integrated into the carrier air fleet alongside their Navy counterparts.

Stefano D’Urso is a freelance journalist and contributor to TheAviationist based in Lecce, Italy. He has a degree in Industrial Engineering and is also currently studying to obtain a Masters in Aerospace Engineering. His areas of expertise include electronic warfare, loitering munitions and OSINT techniques applied in the world of military operations and current conflicts.

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