Aircraft carriers from France, Italy and Spain are patrolling the Mediterranean Sea for Neptune Strike, an enhanced Vigilance Activity intended to help Allies integrate naval striking power and maintain a visible, ready presence in nearby seas.
Carrier Strike Groups from Spain and Italy, led by the ESPS Juan Carlos I and ITS Cavour, are operating in the central Mediterranean Sea, launching aircraft on simulated missions into Bulgaria, Poland and Romania. The French carrier Charles de Gaulle is participating from the southeastern Mediterranean. A key focus for ITS Cavour is integrating the fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighter with its AV-8B Harrier II jets. While the F-35 boasts stealth capabilities and advanced sensors, the AV-8B carries a heavier weapons load, making the combination highly effective.
Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO), based in Portugal, leads several iterations of Neptune Strike each year to help Allies work better together at sea and to strengthen NATO’s presence in the region. This iteration, running from 25 March to 1 April 2026, brought together Carrier Strike Groups from France, Italy and Spain for a week of joint training and air/maritime operations.
Footage includes flight operations aboard the Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour, featuring AV‑8B Harrier and F‑35 Lightning II jets taking off and landing, as well as scenes of sailors working inside the ship’s Combat Information Centre.
Transcript
---SHOTLIST—
(00:00) WIDE SHOT – HELICOPTER CIRCLING ABOVE THE ITALIAN AIRCRAFT CARRIER ITS CAVOUR
(00:06) VARIOUS SHOTS – F-35 TAXIING AND LAUNCHING FROM THE ITALIAN AIRCRAFT CARRIER ITS CAVOUR
(00:29) WIDE SHOT – ITALIAN SAILOR SIGNALS AN AIRCRAFT AS AN F-35 PASSES IN THE BACKGROUND, WITH THE ITALIAN NAVY FRIGATE ITS VIRGINIO FASAN SAILING NEARBY
(00:34) VARIOUS SHOTS – AV-8B HARRIER II TAXIING INTO POSITION AND TAKING OFF
(00:45) WIDE SHOT – F-35 AND AV-8B FLYING IN CLOSE FORMATION
(00:51) VARIOUS SHOTS – F-35 ON APPROACH FOR VERTICAL LANDING
(01:17) VARIOUS SHOTS – AV-8B PERFORMING VERTICAL LANDING BEHIND F-35
(01:47) VARIOUS SHOTS – F-35 TAXIING TO PARKING POSITION
(01:50) WIDE SHOT – ITALIAN SAILORS TYING DOWN AV-8B
(02:01) VARIOUS SHOTS – AV-8B POWERING DOWN AS PILOT CLIMBS OUT
(02:11) VARIOUS SHOTS – ITALIAN SAILORS WORKING INSIDE THE COMBAT INFORMATION CENTRE ABOARD THE ITALIAN AIRCRAFT CARRIER ITS CAVOUR
(02:45) MEDIUM SHOT – NATO FLAG FLYING ON THE ITALIAN AIRCRAFT CARRIER ITS CAVOUR
(02:49) MEDIUM SHOT – ITALIAN GUIDED MISSILE DESTROYER ITS CAIO DUILIO SAILING IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
(02:54) MEDIUM SHOT – ITALIAN FRIGATE ITS VIRGINIO FASAN SAILING IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
(02:57) VARIOUS SHOTS – ITALIAN NAVY NH-90 HELICOPTER TAKING OFF FROM THE DECK OF THE ITALIAN AIRCRAFT CARRIER ITS CAVOUR
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