JAKARTA: Indonesia on Friday welcomed its first aircraft carrier, a 41-year-old former Italian Navy ship, as Jakarta steps up efforts to modernise its ageing military equipment and expand defence cooperation with other countries.
The former Italian carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi docked at a port in Jakarta after sailing from Italy via Colombo and the Malacca Strait, Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff Muhammad Ali told reporters.
The 180-metre (590-foot) ship will be renamed KRI Sriwijaya next week and is expected to focus primarily on non-military missions, including disaster relief, Ali said.
“WELCOME TO THE SEA GIANT, INDONESIA’S PROTECTIVE SEA FORTRESS”
Setelah berlayar dari Italia pada 24 Agustus yang lalu, ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi telah tiba di Tanah Air dan sedang berlayar menuju Jakarta. Kedatangan kapal induk perdana ini dikawal langsung oleh 2 Fregat kelas… pic.twitter.com/ACjWtZ25fo
— Lembaga KERIS (@LembagaKERIS) September 17, 2026
“There are many disasters in this country. So we really need a ship or platform that could carry many helicopters, because the helicopters can drop logistics quickly to remote areas,” he said.
Ali said the ship remained in good condition and could serve the Indonesian Navy for another 15 to 20 years. Navy spokesman Tunggul said the carrier could accommodate up to 830 personnel and carry as many as 18 helicopters.
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The ship was commissioned into the Italian Navy in 1985. President Prabowo Subianto, a former general elected in 2024, has made modernising Indonesia’s ageing military assets a priority while seeking closer defence ties with other countries.
Indonesia signed an $8.1 billion deal in 2022, when Prabowo was defence minister, to purchase 42 French-made Rafale fighter jets. Six had been delivered by May. India confirmed in July, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Jakarta, that it would supply Indonesia with long-range missiles.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced in April that Washington and Jakarta had upgraded their relationship to a “Major Defence Cooperation Partnership”.
Indonesia also signed a security treaty with Australia in February, paving the way for closer military cooperation, including Australian support for developing training facilities for joint exercises.
