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Indonesia welcomes its first aircraft carrier, prompting debate over cost and military ambitions
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JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia welcomed its first aircraft carrier Friday, a former Italian warship that the government says will strengthen the archipelago nation’s maritime security and disaster response capabilities.
Key facts
- The 41-year-old former ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi, with capacity for short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft and helicopters, was welcomed with a military ceremony upon its arrival at a naval base in North Jakarta’s Tanjung Priok seaport.
- Indonesia’s Finance Ministry approved $450 million in financing for the aircraft carrier program in 2025
- JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia welcomed its first aircraft carrier Friday, a former Italian warship that the government says will strengthen the archipelago nation’s maritime security and disaster response capabilities.
- TB Hasanuddin, a member of Parliament’s Commission I, said the cost of retrofitting the carrier alone could reach 16 trillion rupiah (about $900 million).
- Italy in March agreed to give the carrier, which was retired in 2024, to Indonesia in a move aimed at boosting Italy’s broader defense engagement with the Southeast Asian country
- Indonesia to convert the Garibaldi for handling disasters
Summary
The 41-year-old former ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi, with capacity for short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft and helicopters, was welcomed with a military ceremony upon its arrival at a naval base in North Jakarta’s Tanjung Priok seaport.
Italy in March agreed to give the carrier, which was retired in 2024, to Indonesia in a move aimed at boosting Italy’s broader defense engagement with the Southeast Asian country. Italy is seeking deals on submarines and aircraft, and gifting the carrier to Indonesia also saves it the cost of decommissioning the ship.