Italien könnte den weltweit ersten Atomträger für Kampfflugzeuge der 6. Generation stationieren

Italy will start studying the possibility of building the country’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in 2026. This project is an important step in modernizing Italy’s Navy and could place the country among a few nations that operate nuclear aircraft carriers.

The project, known as Portaerei di Nuova Generazione, or New Generation Aircraft Carrier, will be developed under a long-term plan by the Italian Navy (Marina Militare) that extends to 2040.

The concept envisions nuclear propulsion, electromagnetic catapults, advanced cyber-protected systems, and fully integrating manned and unmanned platforms.

Aircraft carrier built for sixth-gen fighters
Admiral Enrico Credendino, the Italian Navy’s chief of staff, confirmed earlier this year that the design phase for a nuclear-powered carrier is being evaluated as part of the Navy’s future force plan.

“All new Italian naval vessels will be designed to integrate unmanned systems and enhanced cyber defense capabilities,” Credendino said.

Fighter selection for the new carrier remains open, with options reportedly including the US-built F-35C, a future US Navy sixth-generation carrier jet, or a navalized trinational Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) variant.

If realized, the carrier would complement Italy’s existing Cavour and Trieste carriers, which operate F-35B fighters.

In 2026 will starts the studies of new Italian Navy aircraft carrier, know as „Portaerei di Nuova Generazione“ (New Gen Aircraft Carrier). From what know given by the Navy’s request, should be nuclear powered and maybe with EMALS system. The fighter’s choice will be interesting. pic.twitter.com/KfEvReUz0n

— Ciro Nappi (@CiroNappi6) October 20, 2025
The Cavour was commissioned in 2009, while the amphibious assault ship Trieste entered service in late 2024.

Together, they provide the Navy with a dual-carrier capability for continuous operations and NATO interoperability.

The feasibility studies will be conducted under the Minerva program, a €2.1 million research effort launched in 2023 by the Directorate of Naval Armaments.

The program explores the use of compact naval reactors, each producing around 30 megawatts of thermal output, for submarines, destroyers, and potentially carriers.

The consortium leading the effort includes Fincantieri, Cetena, Ansaldo Nucleare, Rina Services, and the University of Genoa.

Fincantieri CEO Pierroberto Folgiero said the studies aim to ensure chemical and environmental safety, enabling nuclear-powered ships to dock in civilian ports.

Nuclear propulsion, he added, would significantly enhance endurance, reduce fuel dependence, and support high-energy systems such as electromagnetic catapults (EMALS), directed-energy weapons, and next-generation radar systems.

I remain intensely sceptical of this. Rather than a carrier-capable fighter they’re building a huge long range combat aircraft which won’t fit on a carrier (but will be able to dominate the central Med from Italy), and they currently quite underspend in comparison to the UK and France and Germany so it seems intensely unlikely they’re going to want to run multiple procurement projects that largely fill the same requirements. Italy’s really going to embark on a hugely expensive project for a carrier that – as far as I can tell – they don’t really need and that they’re not building appropriate aircraft for?

~~Where are they getting the escorts from anyway? Or is the idea that it will only ever operate with Cavour / Trieste?~~

EDIT: OK it’s replacing Cavour, so their escort fleet is fine for that. Still though; sceptical.

They should go towards establishing a European Union navy….

World’s first? That sounds incredibly misleading.

I can’t imagine the GCAP being able to take off this thing. For one thing, the GCAP is a 20 ton so navalizing it would be incredibly tricky. That only leaves the FCAS, if it even happens, or American.

Uh, I can’t see a naval variant of Tempest being feasible – Tempest is gonna be huge, way to big for a carrier, and will need a massive runway (even taking into account a catapult and arrestor cables). Plus, it would need a load of structural reinforcement.

I give 0% credibility to this. Italy doesn’t even have a nuclear industry anymore and restarting one would cost more than the carrier itself. Also just the EMALS themselves cost as much as the LHD Trieste …

If an EMALS equipped nuclear powered carrier is already a huge financial burden for France then it’s unaffordable for Italy which is in a worse financial state than France (if France reduces the deficit).

To me it’s just wishful thinking from the Italian Navy. And last but not least, Italy has absolutely no need for such a carrier. Italy has no expeditionary ambitions or overseas territories and exclusive economic zones to protect. Their current duo is smart and no-nonsense: a light carrier and a flexible LHD.

And this clickbait article is wrong anyway, it would not be the first, the US and China will take care of that.

Taking the under on that lol

Could.. Can they even afford it

Hahahaha ! Yes that’s the one that will defend Salvini’s Messina bridge against communists and atheists ! Getting used to find this type of #bullcrap on Reddit

Is that gonna be before or after the bridge that connects to Sicily

A non conventional carrier capable of operating a navalised 6th gen aircraft (which are all going to be in the 20 to 25 ton range) would weigh at minimum 90,000 tons, be about over 350 m long, cost about 25 billion ( 2 times the MM’s annual budget) and require about 5000 personnel (about 30% of total MM’s man power). Apart from those ridiculous specifications there is only one drydock in Italy large enough to even accept such a ship and the project would require the development of an atomic powertrain witch Italy has never done plus the infrastructure to maintain it which would cost another 10 to 15 billion.

Why Italy would even need a CATOBAR carrier is completely beyond me as its central position in the med mains it a can use a long range 6th gen fighter to dominate the sea with ease.

It would literally be easier for Italy to put man on the moon that build this ship.

If true, this’d put Italy ahead of everyone in carrier tech that’s a big move for Europe