DARWIN: An Italian carrier strike group, on its first deployment to the Indo-Pacific region, plans to navigate the South China Sea enroute to the Philippines following joint military exercises with US allies in Australia, disclosed a senior Italian navy official on Thursday.
These maneuvers occur amidst heightened tensions in the contested South China Sea, where approximately 40 percent of Europe’s foreign trade traverses.
The region is claimed almost in its entirety by China, while the United States, Japan, Australia, and other nations conduct joint maritime exercises to uphold freedom of navigation.
Currently stationed in Darwin, Australia, the Italian aircraft carrier Cavour is participating in Exercise Pitch Black, contributing nearly two dozen fighter jets to the 20-nation drills alongside host Australia. This marks the carrier’s maiden participation in such exercises, noted Italian Navy Rear Admiral Giancarlo Ciappina.
Twenty-three Italian jets, including eight F-35Bs, are engaged in training exercises encompassing dogfights, strikes, and other operations over vast expanses of northern Australia.
“Pitch Black allows us to collaborate closely with major F-35 communities,” remarked Captain Dario Castelli, commander of the strike group’s carrier air wing. “Logistically, it’s an exceptional exercise for us, operating far from our home base.”
Upon conclusion of the exercises on August 2, the 1,200-person carrier strike group will proceed to Guam and Japan in the US Pacific territory, before transiting the South China Sea towards the Philippines for the first time, as Ciappina outlined.
Ciappina clarified that the strike group has no plans for freedom of navigation operations, instead emphasizing humanitarian activities in the Philippines. He mentioned plans for the Cavour to conduct medical procedures for children at the ship’s hospital while docked in Manila.
“An aircraft carrier’s mere presence exerts influence and is a potent tool,” Ciappina emphasized.
Tensions persist between Manila and Beijing over territorial claims, particularly as the Philippines contests China’s permanent presence near strategic features within its exclusive economic zone.
Ciappina underscored that Italy’s inaugural Indo-Pacific deployment enhances training and deepens regional understanding. While not a NATO initiative, Italy has coordinated with the French Navy and Britain’s Royal Navy, which will deploy ships to the region later in the year, ensuring robust capabilities in the Mediterranean.
“Everything is interconnected, which underscores the importance of our presence in the Pacific,” Ciappina concluded.
