NATO Exercise MedStrike 25: Italian Aircraft Operate from British Carrier in Historic First

During NATO Exercise MedStrike 25, held from May 5 to 11, 2025, in the Ionian Sea between Puglia and Sicily, a remarkable collaboration took place between the Italian and British naval forces. For the first time ever, Italian aircraft from both the Navy and the Air Force operated from the British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, marking a significant milestone in allied naval interoperability.

Fantastic to welcome Vice Admiral Aurelio De Carolis, Commander in Chief of the @ItalianNavy Fleet.

Truly impressive to see their F35B fighter jets operating from @HMSPWLS during Exercise MedStrike. #UKItaly #CSG25 #MedStrike #ITSCavour #strongerTogether pic.twitter.com/Q5HYuzwTZR

— UK Carrier Strike Group (@COMUKCSG) May 9, 2025

Italy participated with the aircraft carrier Cavour, accompanied by a Carrier Air Wing composed of 8 F-35Bs (6 from the Navy and 2 from the Air Force) and 5 AV-8Bs. The Italian carrier strike group also included the multi-role frigates Alpino, Bergamini, and Carabiniere, the guided-missile destroyer Mimbelli, the offshore patrol vessel Borsini, the support ship Vulcano, and the Portuguese frigate Bartolomeu Dias.

The British Carrier Strike Group was led by HMS Prince of Wales, flanked by the destroyer HMS Dauntless and the frigate HMS Richmond. Supporting the group were the U.S. Navy ships USS Truxtun and USS The Sullivans, the Norwegian vessels HNOMS Amundsen and HNOMS Maud, the Canadian HMCS Ville de Quebec, and the Spanish frigate Méndez Núñez. In total, the exercise involved 21 ships, 2 submarines, 41 jets (including 26 fifth-generation aircraft), 19 helicopters, 10 patrol aircraft, and over 8,000 personnel.

The event offered a unique opportunity to strengthen synergy among naval forces, sharpen the operational capabilities of carrier groups, and consolidate interoperability in complex scenarios. Admiral Aurelio De Carolis, Commander in Chief of the Italian Fleet and of the European Maritime Force, highlighted the importance of such exercises in addressing maritime security challenges and ensuring freedom of navigation.

Rear Admiral Giancarlo Ciappina, commander of the Italian Carrier Strike Group, emphasized that this interaction represents a step forward from the initial operational capability achieved during last year’s Indo-Pacific deployment. It allowed for the refinement of techniques to counter a variety of threats and enhanced interoperability in an increasingly dynamic maritime security environment.

The F-35B, Europe’s only fifth-generation maritime airpower asset, is proving to be a strategic tool essential for the defense of national interests in both current and future operational scenarios. Its integration within a broader force structure, enhanced by next-generation air capabilities, remains a crucial component of naval power projection.

Exercise MedStrike 25 demonstrated the effectiveness of allied naval cooperation and the importance of joint training to maintain high levels of readiness and interoperability, which are essential to confronting global maritime security challenges.