The 41-year-old ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi arrived Friday at the Indonesian Navy base in North Jakarta’s Tanjung Priok port. The ship is scheduled to be formally commissioned next week under the new name KRI Gajah Mada, after the 14th-century Majapahit military leader.

Italy retired the carrier in 2024 and agreed in March to transfer it to Indonesia. The arrangement gives Indonesia a large aviation-capable naval platform without purchasing a newly built carrier, while strengthening defense ties between Jakarta and Rome.

Indonesia will become only the second Southeast Asian country to operate an aircraft carrier after Thailand, whose HTMS Chakri Naruebet entered service in 1997.

A carrier designed for a different mission

Indonesia is not presenting the Garibaldi as a conventional long-range fighter carrier.

The government plans to refurbish the ship for helicopters, drones and maritime support operations. President Prabowo Subianto has said the vessel could be used for disaster response, including fighting forest and peatland fires, as well as responding to other emergencies across Indonesia’s vast archipelago.

Prabowo has said the ship could accommodate up to 10 medium-sized helicopters and carry large quantities of water for firefighting operations. His administration also plans to operate uncrewed aircraft from the vessel.

Indonesia’s Defense Ministry has separately described the carrier as a platform for non-combat operations, including humanitarian missions and logistical support. Officials have said the ship can accommodate several helicopters and help deliver supplies to areas that are difficult to reach by land.

The vessel’s design supports short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft and helicopters rather than conventional carrier aircraft launched by catapult.

The cost extends beyond the transfer

Although Italy is transferring the retired carrier, Indonesia will bear the expense of bringing it back into operational condition and adapting its systems to Indonesian requirements.

Indonesia’s Finance Ministry approved $450 million in financing for the aircraft-carrier program in 2025. Some Indonesian lawmakers have subsequently warned that the overall cost could be considerably higher, with Commission I member TB Hasanuddin estimating that retrofitting alone could reach 16 trillion rupiah, or roughly $900 million.

The Indonesian government has also described the carrier as a defense-industry opportunity. The Defense Ministry says technology transfer from the Italian builders could strengthen Indonesia’s domestic maritime-defense capabilities.

The purchase price, however, is only one part of operating a large aviation-capable warship.

Personnel, fuel, maintenance, aviation support, infrastructure and specialized training create continuing costs. Analysts at Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies have noted that the long-term challenge will include sustaining the ship and developing the logistics required to operate a combined manned and unmanned air wing.

Questions over military usefulness

The carrier’s arrival has prompted debate among Indonesian defense specialists about how the vessel fits into the country’s broader military requirements.

Muhammad Fauzan Malufti of the Center for Strategic and International Studies said the decision should be assessed against Indonesia’s operational needs and its ability to sustain the ship over time. He pointed to the costs of personnel, maintenance, fuel, weapons systems and supporting infrastructure, particularly given the carrier’s age.

Military analyst Khairul Fahmi of the Institute for Security and Strategic Studies has argued that Indonesia’s more immediate maritime requirements include submarines, frigates and other systems designed to protect its territorial waters. He also said a carrier could serve as a multifunctional platform if Indonesia wants to develop its role as a major maritime nation.

Other analysts have noted that Indonesia’s geography gives a helicopter-capable vessel practical applications that differ from those of carriers operated by major blue-water navies.

The country stretches across thousands of islands and faces recurring earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, floods and wildfires. A mobile aviation platform could allow helicopters and drones to reach disaster areas without depending entirely on damaged roads, airports or other infrastructure.

A new capability for the Indonesian Navy

The Garibaldi’s arrival comes as Prabowo’s administration pursues a broader expansion of Indonesia’s armed forces.

The government has been seeking new submarines, frigates, fighter aircraft and missile systems while expanding defense cooperation with other countries. The carrier adds a different capability: a large platform able to support aviation and maritime operations away from fixed bases.

Indonesia has also been preparing its personnel and facilities for the vessel. Earlier this year, the Navy sent personnel to Italy for training, while Lampung was identified as one of the locations being prepared to accommodate the carrier.

The transition will require Indonesia to develop procedures for maintaining an older carrier and operating aircraft from its deck.

That makes the commissioning of KRI Gajah Mada only the beginning of the project. The longer-term measure of the acquisition will depend on how effectively Indonesia can operate and sustain the vessel and how closely its missions match the country’s maritime and disaster-response requirements.

For now, the arrival gives Indonesia a capability it has never previously operated: an aircraft carrier that can serve as a mobile aviation and support platform across its enormous maritime territory.

Reporting Credit: Indonesian Ministry of Defense — carrier transfer, intended defense role and domestic defense-industry implications; Indonesian Navy — vessel preparation, personnel training and operational planning; Indonesian Parliament Commission I — financing and carrier acquisition discussions; Italian Navy/Italian government — transfer of the former Giuseppe Garibaldi.

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