A formation of NATO naval vessels underway in calm waters during Exercise Med Strike 2025. In the foreground is the Italian Navy aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (hull number 550), flying the Italian flag and carrying multiple F-35B fighter jets on its flight deck. Just behind it is the British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, also with jets lined up on deck. Several other warships, including destroyers and frigates from allied nations, are visible in the distance under a cloudy sky, forming a multinational carrier strike group.
Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour leads a formation alongside British carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth and other allied naval vessels during the final day of Exercise Med Strike 2025 in the Ionian Sea. From May 5 to 11, 2025, two NATO carrier strike groups operated jointly in a high-intensity scenario.