“White Crane” was the name of the Italy-led joint humanitarian operation that set sail onboard aircraft carrier Cavour from La Spezia to Haiti, when that country was struck by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake, on January 12, 2010.

On January 13, the world woke up and heard about the Haitian disaster. Thousands of people – more than 200 thousand in total – had lost their lives in one of the most devastating earthquakes ever occurred in history, which levelled towns and villages, interrupted lines of communication, and left widespread mud, mounds of rubble and devastation.

A whole country – already suffering from extreme poverty - found itself on its knees, both emotionally and economically, burying the departed and rebuilding the system.

International solidarity was not long in coming for that small State bordered to the north by the Atlantic Ocean and to the south by the Caribbean Sea. Italy decided to intervene and offer assistance - which then proved vital – to Haitian population by the sea, sending aircraft carrier Cavour with its air group.

The new flagship of the Italian Navy - with an overall length of 244m and a standard displacement at full load of 27,100t, embarking a national contingent of 800 military personnel, as well as vehicles, medical equipment and 6 helicopters - departed in the night between 18 and 19 January 2010 from Muggiano (La Spezia) under command of Captain Gianluigi Reversi, and sailed at an average speed of over 27 knots, in order to cross the Atlantic Ocean and reach the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince as soon as possible.

It was actually with Operation White Crane that aircraft carrier Cavour – designed to meet the Italian defence system requirements - became fully operational, deployed for the first time to perform humanitarian aid and civil protection tasks, thanks to its high flexibility and versatility of use.

The Cavour’s command and control capabilities are such that the unit can be deployed in a wide range of complex multidimensional environments. The aircraft carrier can accommodate up to 1200 personnel and embark up to 20 fixed wing aircraft and helicopters; its hangars are designed to store vehicles, amphibious landing craft and equipment. Moreover, the ship has 2 surgeries, 2 operating theatres, a resuscitation room, a radiology room, a burn treatment room, an 8-bed intensive care unit, along with analysis and dental laboratories.

The White Crane task force consisted of Italian Navy, Army and Air Force personnel, and included medical staff from the Italian Red Cross. A Brazilian contingent was also embarked, composed of 76 personnel: 45 from the Brazilian Navy and 31 of the integrated medical team, as well as 2 helicopters. Such a joint and international task force was the expression of a firm common willingness to provide support to an exhausted country in deep distress.​

International cooperation proved effective in supporting civilian population, delivering tons of staple goods, providing medical and surgical assistance, re-establishing lines of communication, and reconstructing infrastructures.

The Italian Navy 643 personnel (including 43 women) deployed in Operation White Crane included 50 Marines of the San Marco Marine Brigade, 9 divers from the Operational Divers Group, and 85 air wing personnel, whose work, during the 59 days they stationed in Haiti, helped to restore hope and confidence among a population still suffering from shock after the disaster.

Besides personnel from the Italian Civil Protection Department and National Fire Corps, a team of medical volunteers from Marche Regional Association for Medical Emergency and Pisa emergency surgical team, regional officers and local supporting staff, the Italian contingent also included personnel from Fondazione Francesca Rava N.P.H. Italia Onlus, and a team of surgeons and nurses from Operation Smile Italia​ (this non-profit organization thus started a major and long-standing cooperation with the Italian Navy).​

The whole team did an outstanding job, performing praiseworthy missions on site, such as that accomplished by the EH-101 and SH-3D helicopters that took off from the aircraft carrier Cavour flight deck - at anchor in the Port-au-Prince bay – to deliver foodstuffs to the population of Baradères – a tiny village 80 km southwest of Haiti’s capital – cut off from the main communication lines and only accessible by plane.

Embarked helicopters - in HEMS configuration - made 63 flights, always bringing humanity and solidarity, to perform medical evacuation, rescuing injured children, women and men, who were then treated by the ship’s medical team.

On April 14, 2010, at the end of nearly three-month mission and after having sailed 14,824 miles, with a total of 1,900 operating hours, aircraft carrier Cavour returned to Italy, welcomed by political and military authorities in Civitavecchia harbour.

The Haiti mission clearly showed the outstanding expeditionary connotation of the Italian Navy, which can rely on assets and capabilities to rapidly and autonomously operate across a wide range of operating environments and circumstances.

Aircraft carrier Cavour – upgraded to operate 5th generation aircraft, capable of performing attack, defence, or support missions, rapidly reaching even distant locations, from war theatres to peace operations – is a perfect example of the Italian Navy’s intrinsic and recognized versatile nature.

Eleven years after that tragic event and that much-needed mission, the Italian Navy still remembers faces, eyes and smiles of the many people rescued and aided, as well as all the handshakes, embraces and greetings exchanged before returning to Italy.

Most significantly, we also remember that the national coat of arms in Haiti’s flag bears the motto: "L’Union fait la force", which means "Unity makes strength".