Mediterranean operations would be exposed to air power from islands and shore bases, making fleet air defence a practical requirement rather than a luxury. Carrier construction by the United States, Britain, Japan, and others, together with the Spanish Civil War's demonstration of air attack, supplied visible evidence before 1940. A relatively economical Italian carrier focused on fighters and reconnaissance could have provided local air defence, with limited fighter-bomber work while land bases supplied much of the offensive air power. Electronic-warfare and radar efforts also stalled under Cavagnari despite Italian work in those fields during the 1920s.
Notable Point · 18:24-20:39
Carriers, air defence, and radar left behind
Even a modest fighter carrier and better naval air coordination could have addressed the Mediterranean's air-power problem more effectively.