The Cavour, flagship of EUNAVFOR Med
(B2, aboard the Cavour) 244 meters long, 40 meters wide with a height of 55 meters (i.e. 11 floors), when you board the Cavour, you might not feel like you are on the open sea. t is the small rolling movement, perceptible from time to time, the 27 tons of the ship provide a certain stability.
A day on board
The day on board normally starts around 7:30 a.m., with breakfast, general briefing in the hangar, with the day's instructions, cleaning of the ship around 10-12 a.m. In the afternoon, various collective training (fire alert, rescue alert, military training, etc.).
On-call teams
Teams remain permanently on call, on watch but also on the helicopter side. There is thus a permanent on-call team 24 hours a day. That is to say night and day, with a take-off time set at a maximum of 24 minutes at night, 60 minutes during the day. Ditto for the FHQ where, apart from daytime hours, a captain and his assistant take turns every six hours to keep watch. A necessity. " The first calls arrive at night. And the planes take off very early. »
In arduis servare mentem
With 544 crewmen and women, the Italian command ship looks like a real village. And again, it seems a little empty. " We can go up to 1200 people in all with airmen, special forces » emphasizes his commander Alberto Sodomaco, quite proud to command this ship, whose motto is " In arduis servare mentem which could also be that of the operation.
The most imposing ship of the Italian Navy
Third of the name in the Italian Navy, the Cavour is also one of its most imposing and most recent ships. Made by the Italian shipyards, Fincatieri, in 2004, in two parts (like civilian ships), then assembled in La Spezia, she was hired in 2008.
Usable in different types of operations
Modular and easily adaptable, it is ausable in different types of operation (like the French PCBs). It can thus serve as a command and control boat, a hospital ship, or a transport hub - or all three at the same time as today - as a logistical transport or even serve for marine diplomacy. The ship is thus returning from a tour of Africa, from Saudi Arabia to America (6 months): 164 days at sea, 41 days in port.
A helicopter carrier
It has six places (spot) helicopters + a place for the helicopter reserved for the SAR. 2 elevators are provided to raise (or lower) aircraft/helicopters from the hangar to the deck, or vice versa. Several configurations are possible: 14 AV8B aircraft + 6 EH101 helicopters on a "projection" mission, or 10 AV8B aircraft + 8 EH101 helicopters and 2 NH90 helicopters on an "amphibious support" mission.
A modular shed
The hangar itself is a good size: 134 meters long, 21 meters wide, 7 meters high. In ordinary times, it can house equipment or humanitarian cargo, as in January – April 2010 for Operation White Crane to Haiti – helicopters or planes. Today, on board, there are (only) three helicopters. Part of it has therefore been transformed into a sports hall. The ship also has a power station on board (18 Megawatts) and self-produces all the necessary water, recycling water or sea water... except for the sparkling water served at the table.
A real floating hospital
The Cavour has a floating hospital, with 4 resuscitation beds, 20 hospital beds, a unit for burns, 2 operating tables and 8 emergency care units. It thus serves as role 2 in the operation. Its on-site location is often aft of the migrant canoe recovery area, midway between them and land. The objective is to have an evacuation possible in a short time, either towards the Cavour, or towards the ground.
(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)
