In the area of ​​operation of aircraft carriers that concentrated firepower more than the aviation capabilities of many individual EU states. became in recent months Mediterranean Sea. This particular trend, which has intensified since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, has been reinforced by the recent large-scale Alliance aviation exercises.

There are currently three aircraft carriers operating in the Mediterranean: the American USS George HW Bush, the French flagship FS Charles de Gaulle and the Italian ITS Cavour. These three ships participated in the NATO exercises together with the American USS Gerald R. Ford, the newest American aircraft carrier, which is also considered the largest warship in the world, and the British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth. the new flagship of the British Navy, operating from the North Sea.

“Aircraft carriers are the main destroyer, they keep sea lines of communication open. Our strike sends a clear signal that NATO will protect every inch of allied land,” NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said.

American Pentagon emphasized the importance of the exercises as a sign not only of NATO unity, but also of the interoperability of allied forces. A prime example of the latter is the landing and disembarkation of French Rafale fighter jets at the George W. Bush in the Ionian Sea. “Charles de Gaulle” as part of the Antares aviation exercises was located in the south of Crete, where joint exercises were held with units of the Navy, Air Force and special forces.

There are currently three aircraft carriers operating in the area: the American USS George HW Bush, the French flagship FS Charles de Gaulle and the Italian ITS Cavour.

OUR Eastern Mediterranean has become an important NATO “front” with Russia as the Russian base of Tartus in Syria continues to threaten the Alliance’s southeastern flank, with aircraft carriers serving as its main shield.

“George Bush Senior”, which sank in Souda in October, is the last of ten US-built Nimitz-class aircraft carriers. From its inception to the construction of the new type of aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford, the Nimitz, the main aircraft carrier of the US armed forces, was the largest warships on the planet. It is significant that their displacement is estimated at more than 100,000 tons. At over 300 meters in length, the imposing American aircraft carriers are essentially floating cities, with crews of up to 5,000 sailors, officers and airmen, and each of them carrying about 65 aircraft. For comparison, the maximum crew of a Navy MEKO frigate is estimated at about 180 sailors and officers, and in practice there are much fewer of them.

Most of the squadrons working for George W. Bush (VFA-103, VFA-143 and VFA-86) fly the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, but it is planned to replace them with the fifth generation F-35C fighter.

Smaller in size, but equally formidable in terms of power concentration, the French flagship Charles de Gaulle, built by the Naval Group at the turn of the century. With a displacement of about 40,000 tons and a length of about 260 meters, the ship also has a much smaller crew (about 2,000 sailors, officers and pilots). Of the approximately 40 aircraft operated from Charles de Gaulle Air Base, the vast majority are M-type Rafale fighters modified for carrier-based operations.

The Italian Cavour is the smallest of the three, with a total displacement estimated at around 30,000 tons. Its length is 244 meters, and the total crew consists of about 800 sailors, officers and pilots. It also has a much smaller capacity for aircraft, but it will be F-35 fighters.