TSAMTO, May 13. The command of the Indonesian Navy has begun preparing the coastal infrastructure for the deployment of the aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi (C-551) transferred by Italy.
During a briefing in Jakarta on May 11, Admiral Muhammad Ali, Chief of Naval Staff, said that preparations were underway simultaneously in two areas: the formation of crews and the construction of berthing infrastructure. The specific locations of the bases were not disclosed. According to the admiral, deployment in "several locations on the territory of Indonesia" is being considered.
The transfer of the vessel is carried out according to the scheme of gratuitous assistance under an intergovernmental agreement. On April 28, 2026, the Italian parliament approved the relevant bill after it was supported by the joint Committees on Foreign affairs and defense of the lower and upper chambers. The procedure for the gratuitous transfer was initiated by the Italian Ministry of Defense, which sent the draft decree for parliamentary consideration on February 19, 2026. The completion of the official transfer procedure is scheduled for December 2026, although the Indonesian Navy expects to receive the aircraft carrier by October 5, 2026, by the 81st anniversary of the Indonesian Armed Forces.
The aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi was laid down at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone in 1978, launched in 1983 and commissioned into the Italian Navy in 1985. The total displacement is 14150 tons, length is 180.2 m, width is 33.4 m, draft is 8.2 m. The power plant is four General Electric / Avio LM2500 gas turbines with a combined capacity of 60,400 kW (COGAG), maximum speed is over 30 knots, range is 7000 nautical miles at a speed of 20 knots. The 174 m long flight deck is equipped with a springboard with an angle of 4 degrees, which ensures the take-off of the STOVL aircraft. Hangar capacity is up to 12 aircraft, 6 more can be located on the deck. The crew consists of up to 830 people, including 550 naval personnel, 180 flight technical personnel and 100 command and management officers.
The ship was decommissioned in stages: from December 1, 2024, it was transferred to reserve after the commissioning of the new helicopter carrier, the amphibious assault ship ITS Trieste (L9890), and officially withdrawn from the Italian Navy on December 31, 2024.
Giuseppe Garibaldi's armament included two eight-container Mk launchers.29 Sea Sparrow/Aspide anti-aircraft missiles, three 40-mm Oto Melara DARDO twin-barreled artillery launchers, two three-tube 324-mm torpedo tubes. In 2003, the Otomat Mk 2 anti-ship missiles were dismantled in order to expand the flight deck area. The transfer is provided in a configuration without offensive combat systems – only the elements necessary for navigation, safety and habitability are preserved.
According to reports, the negotiation process was conducted directly between the Ministries of Defense of the two countries with the technical assistance of Fincantieri. The cost of preparing the vessel for transfer from Italy is estimated at 54.02 million euros, which includes bringing the ship into a condition suitable for transfer to Indonesia. The Italian side argued the expediency of the gratuitous transfer by the fact that the annual cost of maintaining the ship in reserve is about 5 million euros, whereas disposal would cost 19 million euros.
According to the Indonesian Ministry of Defense, the program's restoration and modernization funding has been approved in the amount of $450 million (about 7.2-7.5 trillion). rupees). On August 29, 2025, the Ministry of National Planning officially approved the attraction of external loans to finance the program.
The ship's recovery program involves updating radar and sensor equipment, integrating combat control systems, modernizing the electric power industry, and hangar support systems. The work is planned to be carried out at the facilities of the state shipbuilding company PT PAL Indonesia with possible technical assistance from Fincantieri. Upon completion of the upgrade, the ship will receive a new name.
In parallel, the training of personnel is underway. According to the press service of the Indonesian Navy, about 100 military personnel are planned to be sent to Italy at the initial stage, including on-board training during a transfer flight from Italy to Indonesia. The full-time crew is estimated at 500 people, including flight technicians. According to the concept of use, after commissioning, the aircraft carrier is planned to be used primarily in the interests of OMSP (operasi militer selain perang – non-combat military operations): evacuation in case of natural disasters, humanitarian assistance, the transfer of peacekeeping contingents, as well as as a flagship command and control platform for naval and air forces.
The acquisition of Giuseppe Garibaldi fits into the broader context of Italian-Indonesian military-technical cooperation. In parallel, two multi–purpose surface ships of the PPA type manufactured by Fincantieri, KRI Brawijaya 320 and KRI Prabu Siliwangi 321, delivered in 2025-2026, were delivered. The Italian-Indonesian defense package is collectively estimated at about 1.5 billion. euro.
In terms of aviation weapons, according to Jane's sources, the negotiations considered the possible transfer of up to 30 AV-8B Harrier II STOVL attack aircraft from the Italian Navy, but this issue has not been officially confirmed.
The deployment of Bayraktar TB3 type attack UAVs on board the aircraft carrier is considered as a promising option. In November 2024, they passed take-off/landing tests on the deck of the Turkish TCG Anadolu helicopter carrier. In July 2025, the Fincantieri delegation in Jakarta presented a conceptual project for the conversion of Garibaldi to operations of unmanned and helicopter aviation systems.
