In the early morning of yesterday, the USS Dwight Eisenhower (CVN-69) entered the Mediterranean Sea with its carrier strike group. It has been a long time since we have seen such a strong NATO naval air potential deployed in the Mediterranean.
In addition to the IKE, a second aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford (CVN-78), is also present in the Mediterranean, currently sailing in the eastern Mediterranean.
In the night between Friday and Saturday, the Spanish Navy amphibious assault ship ESP Juan Carlos I (LHD 61) (with its Harrier AV-8B+-based air group) crossed the Strait of Messina heading east.
Juan Carlos I. L61, Spanish aircraft carrier and amphibious assault ship, sailing through Messina Strait with F83 Numancia. #SPNavy; @ItaMilRadar; @vcdgf555; @sentdefender pic.twitter.com/5KZ0lGjSJm
— PAPA.HOT3L (@PapaHot3l) October 28, 2023
The two Italian aircraft carriers, the ITS Cavour (C551) and the ITS Garibaldi (C550), are currently in the Tyrrhenian Sea engaged in the Mare Aperto23 exercise.
La @MarineNationale participe actuellement au plus grand exercice aéronaval de la @ItalianNavy en Méditerranée occidentale : MARE APERTO 23.
— Armée française – Opérations militaires (@EtatMajorFR) October 28, 2023
Combat en mer, activités amphibies, déminage…
Le haut niveau de coopération entre 🇮🇹 🇫🇷 se concrétise chaque jour en mer. #NATO pic.twitter.com/SHiEElsEYO
The French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (R91) is currently undergoing maintenance in Toulon and is therefore not available.