According to information published by the U.S. Navy on February 26, 2022, the Blue Ridge-class command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) and guided-missile destroyers USS Forest Sherman (DDG 98) and USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) conducted bilateral maneuvering and communication exercises with Italian Navy aircraft carrier ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi (C551).
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The Italian aircraft carrier ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi (C 551) sails in formation with the guided-missile destroyers USS Roosevelt (Picture source: U.S. DoD)
Bilateral ship maneuvering drills, communication tests and other simulated tactical exercises ensure the navies are able to effectively communicate and work seamlessly together during real-world operations.
Giuseppe Garibaldi is an Italian aircraft carrier, the first through deck aviation ship ever built for the Italian Navy, and the first Italian ship built to operate fixed-wing aircraft. She is equipped with short take-off and vertical landing aircraft (STOVL) aircraft and helicopters
The ship is powered by four Fiat COGAG gas turbines built under license from GE, offering a sustained power of 81,000 hp (60 MW). Driving two shafts the ship has a maximum speed of 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) and can travel for 7,000 nautical miles (13,000 km; 8,100 mi) at around 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph).
The ship is armed with surface-to-air missiles, torpedo tube launchers and defensive close-in weapons system (CIWS) mounts and has the capability to launch and recover AV-8B Harrier II jump jets and a variety of helicopters.
