NATO Conducts Dual Carrier Strike Operation with UK HMS Prince of Wales and Italian ITS Cavour.

NATO conducted a coordinated dual carrier deployment between November 16 and 26, 2025, uniting the United Kingdom's HMS Prince of Wales and Italy's ITS Cavour under Exercise Neptune Strike 25-4. The effort signaled a notable shift in European maritime power projection and alliance-level carrier integration.

NATO commanders brought two European carrier strike groups under a single operational umbrella during the late November phase of Exercise Neptune Strike 25-4, according to alliance officials familiar with the deployment. The British Royal Navy's HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group and the Italian Navy's ITS Cavour Carrier Strike Group operated simultaneously under NATO tasking, supported by allied air, surface, and subsurface assets. Planners described the dual-carrier presence as a demonstration of the alliance's growing ability to coordinate complex maritime operations across multiple domains, something European navies have sought to mature since the initial Neptune series began earlier in the decade.
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View of 24 British and Italian F-35B Lightning II jets positioned on the flight deck of HMS Prince of Wales. Marking the full operating capability of the United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group, this deployment features the largest fifth-generation carrier air wing ever embarked on a British aircraft carrier. The combined air wing supports NATO operations during Neptune Strike 25-4. (Picture source: British Royal Navy)

This evolution in NATO’s maritime posture is not merely symbolic. It reflects a deliberate shift toward European-led high-end naval aviation operations, executed with carrier groups capable of sustained strike, surveillance, and joint force enablement in contested regions. The operation saw both carrier groups conducting synchronized air operations over training areas spanning the Mediterranean, Black Sea approaches, and Southeastern Europe. Flights included fixed-wing strike missions, rotary-wing ASW patrols, long-range aerial surveillance, and live command-and-control rehearsal with NATO ground elements.

The HMS Prince of Wales, designated NATO's maritime strike flagship for 2025, led the UK’s Carrier Strike Group 25. As the second of the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth class carriers, Prince of Wales displaces 65,000 tons and is designed to operate up to 40 aircraft under standard deployment, with a surge capacity of 70 plus. For Neptune Strike 25-4, her embarked air wing included a full complement of F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters from the RAF’s No. 617 Squadron and the Royal Navy’s 809 Naval Air Squadron. These were supported by Merlin HM2 helicopters equipped for anti-submarine warfare, radar picket, and airborne early warning roles.

Supporting the British carrier were several key Royal Navy surface escorts and auxiliary ships. The Type 45 destroyer HMS Diamond provided area air defense with the Sea Viper missile system, while the Type 23 frigate HMS Portland carried out submarine hunting with towed sonar arrays and embarked Merlin helicopters. The Royal Fleet Auxiliary contributed a Tide class replenishment tanker, enabling prolonged operational endurance. A nuclear-powered attack submarine, likely an Astute-class vessel, also shadowed the task force, adding deep-water strike and intelligence capabilities.

Opposite the UK group, the Italian Navy deployed the ITS Cavour, a 27,900-ton aircraft carrier functioning as the flagship of Italy’s own carrier strike force. Cavour, optimized for short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft, fielded a mixed air wing composed of AV-8B Harrier IIs and a contingent of F-35B Lightning IIs in early operational status. This marked one of the first integrated NATO deployments involving Italian fifth-generation jets at sea. In total, ITS Cavour embarked up to 13 fixed-wing aircraft, including both legacy and stealth fighters, supported by NH90 and EH-101 helicopters configured for ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare), maritime utility, and search and rescue.

Cavour’s escort force included at least one Andrea Doria-class destroyer equipped with Aster 30 missiles for area air defense and a Bergamini-class FREMM frigate configured for anti-submarine and multi-role operations. A logistics support ship from the Vulcano class provided replenishment capabilities, while an Italian Todaro-class submarine likely accompanied the group to strengthen undersea deterrence. Together, these elements formed a balanced and survivable task force capable of independent operation or NATO-integrated strike missions.

Throughout Neptune Strike 25-4, the dual-carrier architecture enabled high-tempo joint operations across NATO's southeastern flank. Strike sorties from both carriers were coordinated over training ranges in Bulgaria, Romania, and the Adriatic. F-35Bs operated with NATO Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs) on the ground, simulating strike packages in support of multinational land operations. Meanwhile, allied surveillance platforms, including NATO’s RQ-4D Phoenix drones, provided real-time ISR to carrier strike commanders. Complementing the effort were long-range bomber flights from the U.S. Air Force's Bomber Task Force, with B-52s and B-1Bs executing synchronized deterrence missions.

Helicopter detachments from France, Greece, and Norway contributed additional anti-submarine coverage and amphibious support. Aerial refueling and airborne early warning platforms from allied nations enabled extended sortie durations and persistent air patrols, underscoring the expeditionary scope of the operation.

The dual deployment was not just a test of interoperability. It was a rehearsal for high-intensity conflict in a multi-domain environment. NATO commanders emphasized the importance of carrier-to-carrier coordination, strike deconfliction, airspace control, and shared logistics across diverse national doctrines and command structures. Cross-deck operations between the two carriers allowed British and Italian F-35Bs to launch and recover on either platform, a crucial step in operational interoperability and emergency surge procedures.

For NATO, the message is unambiguous. The alliance now possesses a scalable, European-led carrier strike capability, capable of multi-domain effects and strategic depth. While the U.S. Navy remains the primary blue-water force within NATO, the emergence of Prince of Wales and Cavour as operationally active, integrated assets shifts the calculus of allied maritime readiness.

This evolution in European sea power also lays the groundwork for future operations involving France’s Charles de Gaulle and, in the years ahead, the next-generation PANG carrier and British-led Global Combat Ship initiatives. It signals that NATO is no longer dependent solely on transatlantic carrier presence to respond to crisis scenarios in the European theater.

In strategic terms, Neptune Strike 25-4 reflects not only growing maritime interoperability but a renewed focus on readiness and credible deterrence in the face of mounting geopolitical tension. For Army Recognition readers, this joint carrier deployment represents a defining moment in modern alliance defense planning, a tangible display of combat aviation at sea, unified by purpose and sharpened by the capability to strike first, together, and from the sea.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.