Indonesia welcomed its first light aircraft carrier on Friday (September 18), becoming the second country in Southeast Asia to possess a carrier after Thailand. The retired military ship transferred from Italy has arrived in Jakarta, with the Indonesian government stating that it will be utilized to enhance maritime security and disaster response capabilities.
According to reports from the Associated Press, on that morning, the former Italian Navy ship ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi arrived at Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta and was welcomed by Indonesian officials. With a 41-year service life, this ship was decommissioned in 2024 and is capable of carrying helicopters as well as short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft.
The Giuseppe Garibaldi is classified as a light aircraft carrier or STOVL carrier (Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing), equipped with a full flight deck and ski-jump takeoff ramp. Compared to large carriers like the American Nimitz class or Ford class that can carry dozens of conventional fixed-wing fighter aircraft with catapults, its displacement is only about 14,000 tons, with limited aircraft capacity, mainly suited for regional operations or support missions.
In March of this year, Italy agreed to transfer this carrier to Indonesia to strengthen defense cooperation between the two countries. Italy is also seeking military equipment collaboration including submarines and military aircraft with Indonesia. Transferring a decommissioned carrier also helps avoid some of the costs associated with dismantling and disposal.
As reported by Antara News Agency, Indonesia plans to convert the carrier into a platform for helicopters and drones, for maritime operations and disaster response.
President of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, stated during a disaster management meeting earlier this month that the carrier can carry up to 10 medium-sized helicopters, such as Black Hawks and Mi-17 helicopters that can carry about 4 to 5 tons of water, to quickly respond to fire-prone areas and assist with forest and land fire fighting.
The Indonesian Navy also mentioned that after the carrier’s arrival, it will be assigned missions for forest and land fire response, deploying helicopters and related equipment to support areas in need.
The Indonesian Navy indicated that the carrier is expected to complete the handover on September 24, at which point the Italian flag will be replaced by the Indonesian flag, and it will be officially renamed to KRI Sriwijaya.
Previously, Thailand was the first country in Southeast Asia to have a light aircraft carrier, with HTMS Chakri Naruebet, ordered from Spain, officially launched in 1997. With a displacement of around 11,000 tons, it is one of the smallest active aircraft carriers in the world. Its actual use leans towards a helicopter/drone platform for disaster relief, rather than the traditional role of fixed-wing fighter aircraft on large carriers.
Following the completion of the handover, Indonesia will become the second country in Southeast Asia to possess an aircraft carrier.
The Indonesian Ministry of Finance approved a financing of $450 million for the carrier project in 2025. TB Hasanuddin, a member of the First Committee of Parliament, mentioned that the costs for converting the carrier could possibly increase further, reaching up to 160 trillion Indonesian Rupiahs, approximately $9 billion.
Muhammad Fauzan Malufti, a researcher at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Indonesia, emphasized that besides the acquisition and modernization costs, long-term operational expenditures, including personnel, maintenance, fuel, weapon systems, and supporting infrastructure need to be considered while evaluating the carrier project.