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- 27 September 2006
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Ever since I first saw Vittorio Veneto in Jane's Fighting Ships and compared its sleek appearance and modern armament with HMS Blake and its school hut hangar aft I have admired the postwar Italian Navy.
Even though Italian lawmakers still banned fixed wing aviation the Italian Navy in the 80s built the Garibaldi to carry helicopters and one day VSTOL aircraft. Garibaldi was compact and well armed. The sort of ship the RN could have built if the 1966 Fleet Working Group had not been browbeaten by politicians. We might even have built 4 of them.
With the Cold War over a new generation of carriers is needed by both UK and Italy. Both countries start with a clean sheet of paper.
Italy builds the Cavour. A ship designed not only to operate as a VSTOL carrier but an assault ship.. She is also given a full air defence armament. The cash strapped Italians match the size of ship to the number of aircraft they can afford.
Meanwhile in UK politicians (ironically from the same party who banned the word aircraft carrier in 1966) decide that two new.carriers (to be built in Scotland to garner much needed votes) should be ordered for the RN.
You know the rest from the various CV(F) threads on this site. Both Italy and UK now have one working aircraft carrier. Guess which one is the better ship?
Even though Italian lawmakers still banned fixed wing aviation the Italian Navy in the 80s built the Garibaldi to carry helicopters and one day VSTOL aircraft. Garibaldi was compact and well armed. The sort of ship the RN could have built if the 1966 Fleet Working Group had not been browbeaten by politicians. We might even have built 4 of them.
With the Cold War over a new generation of carriers is needed by both UK and Italy. Both countries start with a clean sheet of paper.
Italy builds the Cavour. A ship designed not only to operate as a VSTOL carrier but an assault ship.. She is also given a full air defence armament. The cash strapped Italians match the size of ship to the number of aircraft they can afford.
Meanwhile in UK politicians (ironically from the same party who banned the word aircraft carrier in 1966) decide that two new.carriers (to be built in Scotland to garner much needed votes) should be ordered for the RN.
You know the rest from the various CV(F) threads on this site. Both Italy and UK now have one working aircraft carrier. Guess which one is the better ship?