Balance a carrier's own weapons with layered defence

Cavour is compared with French and American carriers to show how self-defence depends on the whole task group. Its four eight-cell Sylver A43 launchers carry 32 Aster 15 missiles, backed by two 76 mm guns and lighter weapons. A carrier with a large combat air patrol and powerful escorts can reserve its own guns and missiles for the innermost emergency layer. Italy's smaller carrier air group and potentially thinner screen make a heavier onboard fit more attractive. Calling a lightly armed carrier defenceless therefore ignores the aircraft and escorts intended to defeat threats farther out. The design decision rests on how much risk a navy accepts if those outer layers fail.