ITS Cavour, an Italian aircraft carrier and the largest unit in the Italian Navy, came to the port of Dubrovnik ( Gruz), on 21st November 2014.
Building work on the new vessel, , began at Fincantieri's shipyards in Riva Trigoso and Muggiano in July 2001. The Cavour was launched in July 2004 and began sea trials in 2006. The aircraft carrier was delivered to the Italian Navy in April 2008 and entered service in June 2009. Cavour took part in the Haiti earthquake relief operations in early 2010. The ship has a standard displacement at full load of 27,900t, an overall length of 244m and a sustained speed of 27kt. The carrier's runway is 183 m×14 m with a 12° ski jump. It can accommodate up to 1,202 people on board, including the ship's crew of 486, 211 aircrew, an amphibious command force of 140, and San Marco Battalion of 360, plus an extra 90 troops if required.
A strong feature of the ship is its high flexibility in operational terms. It is able to carry out the functions of an aircraft carrier as well as the transport of wheeled and tracked vehicles, for both military and civil missions. The aircraft hangar can accommodate 100 light vehicles or 24 main battle tanks for amphibious missions. The ship can also support four LCVP landing craft. There are two 30t elevators for aircraft and two 15t elevators for armaments.
The vessel is equipped with a flight deck suitable both for operations with helicopters and with short launch, vertical take-off fighter planes. It has a hangar / garage of approximately 2,500m² which can also accommodate wheeled and tracked land vehicles.
The ship can support eight VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) aircraft such as AV-8B Harrier or F-35 joint strike fighter VTOL variant, or 12 helicopters, such as the EH101, NH 90 or SH-3D, or a mix of platforms. (More details: http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/num/)
This ship of the Italian Navy, worth more than a 1,5 billion Euro, visited Montenegro before her visit to Croatia, and their visit is a proof of friendly cooperation between the Croatia and Italy. Master of the ship, the captain Mr. Luca Conti said that the 'ITS Cavour' is bridge between Italy and Croatia.
ITS Cavour visited numerous representatives and ambassadors, Consul of Italy and representatives of the Croatian Navy, and many other people from political and public life. Among the guests at the reception on board, were two Deputy Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure, Dan Simonić and Igor Butorac, General Manager of Dubrovnik Port Authority Mr. Antun Asic, deputy County Prefect, etc.
ITS Cavour stayed until 24 November 2014 at Dubrovnik Port.
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