Cavour is currently the largest operational surface combatant built in Italy after
the Second World War. She has some unique features, which give her more capabilities
than those of classic design in its class. As the Weapon Detective, we are now investigating Cavour,
the multi-purpose aircraft carrier of the Italian Navy.
Cavour, the flagship of the Italian Navy, is one of the essential naval assets of NATO in
the Mediterranean. This multi-purpose surface combatant offers a fresh perspective on modern
light aircraft carrier concepts. Before analysing Cavour, let's briefly look at her
history and features. Italy started its aircraft carrier development works as early as 1925.
This year, the Italian Navy acquired the civilian train ferry Città di Messina and began to convert
her into a seaplane carrier as Giuseppe Miraglia. Yet, she primarily served as an experimental
catapult ship for most of her career. When a new world war was on the horizon,
the majority of Italian Navy staff generally still had unfavourable
opinions about having an aircraft carrier. Nevertheless, when Italy joined the war in 1940,
it decided to convert the ocean liner Roma into an aircraft carrier as Aquila.
However, the ship remained unfinished when Italy signed the armistice in 1943.
The Italian Navy commissioned three helicopter cruisers in the 1960s.
Still, it had to wait for an actual aircraft carrier until Giuseppe Garibaldi entered
the service on September 30, 1985. Shortly after the commissioning of
Giuseppe Garibaldi, Italy considered building a second carrier with a 15,000-ton displacement,
which would also have a slightly larger deck. However, due to the end of the First Cold War, the
threat perception changed, and the defence budget shrunk, leading to the project's cancellation.
Still, after a while, the Italian Navy demanded a new carrier similar to the
Spanish Navy's Principe de Asturias. However, Rome did not budget this project either.
In 1995, Italy considered building a 13,000-ton amphibious assault ship this time.
But subsequently, it switched to a larger amphibious assault ship capable of carrying
four AV-8Bs and six to eight AW101s. After these plans, Italy decided to
have a new 27,000-ton multi-purpose aircraft carrier to replace the ageing
helicopter cruiser Vittorio Veneto. She would also complement Giuseppe
Garibaldi. Contrary to the initial plans, the Italian Navy significantly reduced
the aircraft carrier's amphibious operation capabilities and cancelled the well-dock.
On November 22, 2000, Rome selected the local Fincantieri shipyard as the builder.
Initially, the Italian Navy considered giving names Luigi Einaudi or Andrea Doria to its new
carrier. However, she was finally named as Cavour. She was laid down on July 17, 2001,
and launched on July 20, 2004. The ship was built in two sections. Her sea trials began in 2006.
Cavour was officially commissioned on March 27, 2008, and reached
full operational capability on June 10, 2009. Besides conventional aircraft carrier operations,
Cavour has a specialized design that allows for effectively performing command and control,
amphibious assault, transport, and humanitarian missions.
The hull and superstructure have nine and five floors, respectively.
Under the flight deck, there is a 1,300-square-meter area to accommodate command
posts, with 150 computerized operating stations. Besides the ship's Combat Information Center,
this area contains naval task forces command, joint forces command and amphibious/land forces
command facilities. Cavour's command and control system was developed as
a derivative of the identical system used on the Italian Navy's Orizzonte class destroyers.
Cavour has two engine rooms, each housing a pair of gas turbine engines. Each of these
rooms also houses three 2,950-horsepower Wärtsila CW 12V200 diesel generators.
This design reduces noise and vibrations and improves survivability. Electric propulsion
using a generator connected to the propeller shaft as a motor
allows for low-speed cruise of up to 9 knots. By cruising at an economical speed of 16 knots,
Cavour can perform operations for 18 days without refuelling. Thanks to her four retractable active
fin stabilizers, two on each side, the carrier can maintain her seakeeping characteristics and
perform air operations even in sea state 6. The flight deck is 220 metres long and 34.5
metres wide. It has eight aircraft parking positions and six helipads. The flight
deck is spacious and durable enough to accommodate the CH-47-size helicopters.
The runway is 183 meters long and 14 meters wide. The forward flight
deck ramp is angled at 12 degrees. On the bow part of the flight deck,
there is space for lightweight helicopters operations intended for search and rescue.
The hangar is 134 metres long, 21 metres wide and 7.2 metres high. As the standard,
it accommodates 12 AW101s or eight AV-8B Harrier IIs. However, that hangar can
house up to 16 aircraft if required. So, Cavour, which carries twenty-two
aircraft in a standard mission, can increase this number to 36 for a short period. The
hangar and flight deck areas allow for transporting up to 40 aircraft as cargo.
Two elevators connect the hangar to the flight deck. They can carry up to 30 tons.
Cavour also has two ammunition elevators with a 15-ton load capacity and two service elevators
with a 7-ton load capacity. Currently, Cavour operates
10 AV-8B Harrier IIs and 12 helicopters. The SH-101As are used for anti-submarine warfare,
anti-surface warfare, and transport roles. The EH-101As with HEW-784 radar
perform early warning duties. The AB-212s are tasked with rescuing pilots
in case of an accident during take-off or landing. The Italian Navy is replacing its Harrier IIs with
F-35B Lightning IIs. Cavour was modernized for this transition between 2018 and 2020.
In a standard operation, she will carry ten F-35Bs in the hangar and six more parked on
deck. Initial operating capability for the Lightning IIs is expected in 2024.
Thanks to two ramps, one at the rear and the other on the starboard under the island,
the Cavour's hangar can also used as a RoRo garage. The ramps have a 70-ton capacity.
It can also hold up to 24 Ariete main battle tanks, 50 Dardo infantry fighting vehicles or
over 100 Iveco LMV light armoured vehicles. Additional vehicles and military loads can
also be transported on top of the flight deck. To support an amphibious operation, Cavour can
operate UH-101A heavy transport helicopters. The ship can also carry four LCVPs.
As standard, 325 marines are deployed on Cavour in such a mission. This number can be increased to
416 for a short period. Thanks to its high degree of automation, the Cavour has only a 451-person
crew. The Cavaur has an exceptionally high quality of habitability. Even the largest crew
cabins have no more than four beds. The officers are accommodated exclusively in single cabins. On
the other hand, this comfort does not apply to the marines. They are housed in cabins with 21 beds.
In humanitarian operations, the ship can accommodate 700 civilians. She can perform
civil protection command post missions and provide electricity, drinking water,
hot meals and medical support. Cavour has two operating rooms,
an intensive care unit, X-ray facilities, a dental clinic, and diagnostic laboratories.
The complement of Cavour is 1,210 people, including a 203-person flight group, 140-person
command staff, and 416 marines. The ship has a length of 244 metres, a beam of 39 metres,
and a draught of 8.7 metres. Her standard displacement is 28,160 tons, while her fully
loaded displacement is 29,900 tons. Cavour has four 29,500 horsepower General Electric/Avio
LM2500 gas turbines in COGAG configuration. Her maximum speed is 29 knots. The ship has a range
of 7,000 nautical miles, in other words, 13,000 kilometres, with an economical speed of 16 knots.
Her L-band RAN-40L 3D has a range of 400 kilometres.
It features Track While Scan capability. The C-band EMPAR 3D multifunction passive
electronically scanned array radar has a range of 480 kilometres. It can track up to 300 aircraft
or smaller targets such as missiles and guide up to twelve Aster 15 air defence missiles.
The X-band RAN-30X/I RASS surveillance and surface radar can detect naval units,
very low-flying aircraft and approaching missiles, being very effective against sea
skimmer ones at a range of 25 kilometres. Cavour also has the SNA-2000 mine avoidance sonar.
The ship has four eight-cell SYLVER A43 vertical launching systems, which can launch the Aster 15
air defence missiles with a 13-kilometre effective range. It has a maximum speed of
Mach 3 and a 15-kilogram warhead. Cavour has two 76mm Strales guns,
which can fire Dart guided projectiles against aircraft and sea-skimming missiles.
It is coupled with the RTN-25X Orion fire direction radars and is currently
the highest-range barrelled close-in weapon system. The Dart can perform 40 g manoeuvres,
and its effective range is 8 kilometres. Cavour also has two 25mm KBA 25/80 guns
with a rate of fire of 570 rounds per minute and a range of up to 2 kilometres.
Cavour participated in the 2010 Operation White Crane,
Italy's 2010 Haiti earthquake relief mission. On November 13, 2013, alongside the supply
ship Etna, the frigate Bergamini and the patrol vessel Comandante Borsini,
she sailed out from Civitavecchia to the Persian Gulf and circumnavigated the African continent.
In 2015, Cavour served as the admiral ship of the European Union Naval Force in the Mediterranean.
Cavour has a different design philosophy. Of course, an ordinary aircraft carrier can also
be used in humanitarian missions, to support an amphibious operation or to provide command
to a task force. Nevertheless, they are just improvised tasks.
For example, the Royal Australian Navy used HMAS Sydney as a troop
transport ship during the Vietnam War. On September 12, 1994, due to the situation
in Haiti, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and USS America deployed with a large contingent of
Army helicopters on board but no air wings. Still, Cavour is the first in its class to be
designed for them from scratch. So, she performs these duties more efficiently than others.
This design philosophy is generally preferred for modern amphibious assault
ships, especially landing helicopter docks. For example, the Spanish Juan Carlos I amphibious
assault ship was designed with the same principles but reversely. She is a landing helicopter dock
but can also perform as an aircraft carrier to some degree. Still, her design limits
her air operation capabilities as a carrier. On the contrary, Cavour is an aircraft carrier
but can also perform as an amphibious assault ship to some degree. With its versatile design, this
vessel provides the Italian Navy with much-needed flexibility in the new era of the Second Cold War.
Italy plans to decommission Giuseppe Garibaldi on October 1, 2024.
The newly-built Trieste landing helicopter dock will replace her.
So, two vessels, built according to different approaches for similar missions,
will perfectly complement each other. According to our analysis, Cavour symbolizes that the Italian
Navy is preparing for the new era better than many others. She offers more efficient and flexible
solutions for modern naval combat requirements. Thanks for watching our video. And please don't
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