Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour in action on Exercise Pitch Black
Although they may be floating more than 100 nautical miles out in the Timor Sea, the ITS Cavour’s role is playing a central role in the delivering mission success to Exercise Pitch Black. See the photos.
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In just a couple of hours aboard Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour, a pair of AV-8B Harrier attack airframes and a F-35 stealth jet landed for refuelling, followed by a US MV-22 Osprey and Italian frigate also tearing past the starboard side, giving a glimpse into the active role that the $2.2 billion ship serves in a would-be operational environment.
On Wednesday, an SH90 helicopter flew a wide-eyed group of journalists and cameramen more than a hundred nautical miles out into the Timor Sea where the ITS Cavour and its Carrier Strike Group frigate partner, ITS Alpino, were in the midst of conducting Exercise Pitch Black 24 missions.
Between the sounds of choppers and jets blasting overhead, Rear Admiral Ciappina told media his sailors and pilots had enjoyed their exercise experience.
“The last few days have been really successful for the exercise, we have had our aircraft doing a lot of activities – yesterday they had a huge flying formation on top of the Carrier Strike Group which was great,” he said.
“And they’re involved in all kind of missions during the activity with the other air force teams.”
The aircraft carrier and its accompanying frigate are not static, but on the move, leaving a huge wake in its trail, marking out its course.
The constant movement of the ships are no issue for the ship’s busy pilots though, who conduct routine landings and takeoffs with ease.
Rear Admiral Ciappina said he intended to make the ITS Cavour’s deck a friendly landing zone for partner nation pilots, with international pilots having touched down on the aircraft carrier – some for the first time.
“(Interchangeability) allows you to exchange crews, ships, aircraft on board the ships – we are trying to do this with the French navy, exchanging helicopters and crews …”
Since departing Italy on July 1, the ITS Cavour has stopped by Saudi Arabia, Oman, Pakistan, India, Singapore and Jakarta before it docked in Darwin Harbour.
Throughout its chartered course to-date, the aircraft carrier has exploited every opportunity to link up with and sail alongside friendly nations, including NATO vessels from the United States, France and Spain.
Rear Admiral Ciappina also confirmed the Carrier Strike Group’s third vessel, the ITS Montecuccoli, had bypassed the Timor Sea altogether and was participating in Hawaii-based exercise RIMPAC with US forces.
Due to return to Italy in November, the aircraft carrier will sail north for Guam, the Philippines and Japan in the coming months, capping off a busy first deployment by an Italian Carrier Strike Group into the Indo-Pacific.
Rear Admiral Ciappina said the Italian presence in the region was aimed at supporting “open” sea lines for the benefit of the international community.
“If you close a sea line – like the Suez Canal – merchant vessels are obliged to go all around Africa, add 14, 15 days to their navigations and prices are going to be rising a lot, also the cost for insurance, and all of this is directly paid by our people,” he said.
“The price of goods rises, (so) it’s very important that we have safe and free seas.
“The other effort that we are pursuing as the Italian navy is counter-piracy, for example, that’s why we have a warship for eight months per year in the Indian Ocean participating in (Operation) Atalanta, the anti-piracy mission.”
For those questioning the living standards involved in sailing on the air craft carrier for six months, one sailor told the NT News he felt “lucky” to be living aboard the comparatively spacious ITS Cavour rather than working within the “tight” corridors of the Italian frigates.
“Si, I prefer it here.”
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Originally published as Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour in action on Exercise Pitch Black
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