Cavour vs Trieste

Italy's naval modernization has produced two aviation-capable capital ships to anchor its Mediterranean and expeditionary fleets. Commissioned 16 years apart, the 27,100-ton Cavour and the 38,000-ton Trieste reflect a doctrinal shift from a hybrid light carrier toward specialized, high-tonnage multi-domain platforms.

Development and Design

Ordered in 2000, Cavour was built as a dedicated STOVL carrier with secondary roll-on/roll-off vehicle transport capabilities. It utilizes a single-island superstructure and aft access ramps. Trieste, commissioned in 2024 to replace the Giuseppe Garibaldi, adopts a dual-island configuration—separating navigation and flight control—and integrates a floodable well deck. Cavour requires port infrastructure or helicopters to offload its heavy vehicle hold. Trieste launches up to four LCM-1E landing craft organically, operating as a true amphibious assault ship. Both utilize ski-jumps for F-35B operations.

Weapons and Sensors

Trieste mounts a heavier, more modern sensor and defensive suite.

• Trieste integrates the dual-band Kronos radar system (L-band Power Shield and X-band StarFire) and three 76mm Strales guns firing Vulcano guided ammunition. Its vertical launch system (VLS) is configured for Aster 15 and 30 missiles via 16 Sylver A50 cells.
• Cavour relies on older 3D multifunction radars and carries 32 Aster 15 missiles in Sylver A-43 cells, limiting its air defense reach compared to the Aster 30. Cavour mounts two 76mm Strales guns.

Propulsion and Performance

Cavour prioritizes speed to generate wind-over-deck for aviation, using a COGAG arrangement with four GE LM2500+ gas turbines to reach 29 knots. Trieste uses a CODOG system with two larger Rolls-Royce MT30 turbines and electric drives, lowering its top speed to 25 knots to prioritize low-speed efficiency during amphibious loitering. Trieste displaces 10,900 tons more than Cavour despite nearly identical lengths (245.0m vs 244.0m), owing to its wider 47.0m beam and well deck volume. Both maintain a 7,000-nautical-mile range at 16 knots.

Deployment and Combat Record

Cavour executed disaster relief in Haiti during Operation White Crane in 2010 and deployed to the Indo-Pacific in 2024 for combined exercises with the Indian Navy. Following a 2020 refit, it conducted F-35B integration alongside the USS Gerald R. Ford. Trieste, having recently entered service, conducted a Passage Exercise with INS Tamal in August 2025 and is establishing its initial operational capability.

Conclusion

Cavour commands the edge in dedicated sea control and strike, while Trieste dictates the amphibious domain. Because Cavour reaches 29 knots and fields a flight deck without the spatial compromises of a well deck, it remains Italy's primary fixed-wing carrier. Trieste provides necessary utility for contested littoral operations and heavy lift. By absorbing the expeditionary transport role, Trieste allows Cavour to operate strictly as a light carrier, giving the Marina Militare a tiered, two-deck aviation capability unmatched by continental European navies.