Italian carrier at Goa, holds maiden carrier exercise with Indian Navy

Indian and Italian Navies conduct joint exercise off Goa coast, showcasing carrier strike group capabilities and enhancing interoperability.

In a historic maritime engagement, Indian Navy and Italian Navy carried out the maiden exercise by Carrier Strike Groups (CSG) of both the sides, off Goa coast from October 1 to 6.

The sea phase of the exercise, held on October 5 and 6, was led by the carriers INS Vikramaditya and ITS Cavour, along with INS Visakhapatnam and ITS Alpino, the Indian Navy said.

The Italian CSG, commanded by Rear Admiral Giancarlo Ciappina, left Italy’s Taranto on June 1 and has been on an operational campaign in the Indo-Pacific region. It comprises aircraft carrier ITS Cavour, multi-mission frigate ITS Alpino, and multi-purpose patrol boat ITS Montecuccoli.

“The harbour phase saw subject matter expert exchanges and other key professional interactions as well as a pre-sail planning conference that included participation of Indian Air Force,” the Navy said in a statement.

The two CSGs held intense operations with their integral fighter aircraft and helicopters, for combined large force engagements, air combat missions, helicopter operations and search and rescue missions as also co-ordinated weapon firings and joint manoeuvres, to underscore joint operations and command and control capabilities and enhance interoperability, the Navy said. “A key facet of the landmark exercise was the participation of IAF that undertook manoeuvres with Italian CSG aircraft including large force engagements and combat missions.”

During the exercise, Indian Navy’s Mig-29K fighters and IAF’s Su-30MKI, Rafale and early warning aircraft exercised with F-35Bs and other aerial assets of the Italian CSG, officials said.

In a media interaction in Goa last week, Vice Admiral Aurelio De Carolis, Commander-in-Chief of the Italian Fleet, noted that due to the threat of Houthis to commercial shipping passing through the Red Sea, the flow of commerce between Northeastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula has reduced, and a majority of it are diverted through the Cape of Good Hope across South Africa. “And this, in some way, might have fuelled a comeback of piracy in the area,” he observed.