Indonesia's plans to acquire the former Italian Navy aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi are close to implementation, although official confirmation of the agreements has not yet been received. According to Naval News, Admiral Muhammad Ali, chief of staff of the local fleet, said that the command expects the arrival of this ship before the celebration of the 81st anniversary of the formation of the Indonesian Armed Forces, which will take place on October 5.
At the same time, the admiral did not explicitly state that Indonesia had acquired the ship or that a contract had been signed. He explained that the Ministry of Defense continues negotiations with the Fincantieri shipbuilding company and the Italian Navy.
Aircraft Carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi, Italy
Wikipedia
The designated date of October 5th is important. The anniversary of the creation of the national Armed Forces is usually marked by a large-scale military parade, which is often used to showcase new acquisitions and major defense assets to the public.
The limited delivery time also raises questions in terms of operational readiness. As Naval News notes, Indonesia has never operated an aircraft carrier, which means that a quick transfer will almost certainly require significant involvement from Italian personnel. Therefore, it is likely that the aircraft carrier, if its transfer takes place before October, will arrive with a significant proportion of the Italian crew on board to assist in carrying out basic operations.
The short delivery time also means that major modernization or modification work will not be completed in Italy, which increases the likelihood that it will be carried out in Indonesia after arrival.
As Naval News reported in 2025, the Indonesian private company Republkorp openly expressed interest in carrying out work on the modernization of the aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi in the event of its acquisition. However, at the moment, neither the Navy nor the Indonesian Ministry of Defense have disclosed official details about the scale of potential upgrades.
Information about Indonesia's interest in the aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi has become more frequent in the last two years. In May 2024, Admiral Ali boarded the ship, where he was accompanied by the then Deputy Commander of the Italian Navy, Admiral Giuseppe Berutti Bergotto.
Construction of the Giuseppe Garibaldi began in March 1981, and the ship was classified as an aircraft carrier, since Italy was prohibited from having aircraft carriers after World War II. It was launched in 1983 and commissioned in 1985.
Initially, only helicopters were stationed on board, but during NATO exercises, American AV-8B Harrier attack aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing landed on the deck. After the restrictions were lifted in 1989, Harrier attack aircraft purchased by Italy were deployed on the Giuseppe Garibaldi.
Over the years, the aircraft carrier has been repeatedly upgraded, and various artillery, torpedo and missile systems have been replaced on board. In October 2024, the Italian Navy decommissioned the ship.
The Giuseppe Garibaldi aircraft carrier has a displacement of 13,850 tons, a hull length of 180.2 meters, a width of 33.4 meters, and a draft of 7.5 meters. The maximum speed is 30 knots, the cruising range is 7,000 nautical miles at a speed of 20 knots. The capacity is 16 planes or 18 helicopters.
