Ukraine and NATO exercises off the coast of Puglia. The aircraft carrier Cavour with the United States and France

war in ukraine in the background NATO maneuvers Off the coast of Taranto. “From 16 to 18 March – writes the Navy – the Italian aircraft carrier group consisting of Cavour . aircraft carrierdestroyer Andrea Doria It is the frigate Antonio Marsigliahowever American And the Frenchintense training activity. Leading the other two groups, respectively, is the USS HS Truman and FS Charles de Gaulle”.
The exercises – said the Navy – were developed through large-scale and multi-domain activities (air, surface and underwater) carried out by naval assets and departing aircraft, in order to maintain operational readiness From the marine instrument. Thus, interoperability continues to be consolidated between the fleets of Italy, France and the United States. This interaction, in fact, combined with that which occurred already in February, contributed to an increase in the ability of the Navy’s crews to operate in a multinational context.”

The submarine in Sicily and the Ukrainian crisis and a warning to fishermen. what happened

“Nuclear propulsion”

In Western Europe, the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is the only surface ship Nuclear powered. Like the Truman, it can carry up to 90 aircraft.

defense

“Every day there Ten thousand boats that pass through our country that we should know everything because they can hide Risks It is our duty to object to it. Just like we have duty to protect National naval infrastructures, which have been talked about a lot in recent days after the conflict in Ukraine. This requires us to be close to these infrastructures so that we can intervene quickly. A terrorist attack It is not difficult to complete it: it is enough that we get on TNT on a boat that is part of Libya on the Eni platforms 50 miles away and cause damage that everyone can imagine.” So announced the admiral on March 10 Enrico CredendinoChief of Naval Staff at a hearing of the House and Senate Defense Committees.

Expansion of the Russian fleet

“This aspect was emphasized with the Ukrainian crisis, but we already scored in the previous months Significant increase in the Russian fleet In the Mediterranean, ”, the admiral stated on the same occasion. In 2016 – the admiral states – Russia was present with a ship in the port of Tartus (Syria). In the following years, the fleet increased until it reached the presence of 10-12 between ships and submarines In the Mediterranean and these days we are witnessing a great transit of Russian units.”

‘Europe never united’

“Europe has not been as united as it has been in recent days,” he added on March 15. credendino, speaking in Taranto with Lucio Carracciolo, director of the geopolitical magazine Limes, as part of the Sea of Ink festival, responding to the request for the “Military Euronucleus Idea”, also in light of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. “The world is changing and in the last twenty days it has changed, and in the last twenty days I have seen a more united defensive Europe,” said Admiral Credendino.

Mediterranean strategic direction

On the same day, the admiral predicted: “The Minister of Defense is about to issue The first strategic direction for the Mediterranean regionthe first document on the expanded Mediterranean, which is our strategic area of interest and in which defense plays a major role.” The Directive on the Mediterranean “A joint document between the forces – explained Admiral Credendino – which also includes space and the Internet, a turning point in the role The nautical that Italy should play and which it is beginning to realize.”