TSAMTO, September 21. The Indonesian agency ANTARA announced the arrival of the aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi (from the Italian Navy) at the port of Tanjung Priok in North Jakarta on September 18.
The aircraft carrier will be officially handed over to the Indonesian navy in the near future.
The meeting ceremony was attended by Indonesian Defense Minister Shafri Shamsuddin and the command of the country's armed forces.
The ship, which left Italy on August 24, arrived in Indonesia, escorted by two ships of the Italian Navy.
The command of the Indonesian Navy has taken a number of measures to prepare for the adoption of the aircraft carrier, including the establishment of a base in Lampung province and the training of 310 sailors who will be part of the crew.
As confirmed by the Chief of Staff of the country's Navy, Admiral Muhammad Ali, in accordance with the order of President Prabowo Subianto, in the near future, the aircraft carrier is expected to be used in extinguishing forest and peat fires, since these actions can be classified as "military operations other than war" (MOOTW).
The ship will provide transportation of helicopters and related equipment to fight fires that have engulfed several regions of Indonesia this year. However, the aircraft carrier cannot be sent to Kalimantan immediately, as the official procedure for transferring the ship from Italy to Indonesia will take place only on September 24. In addition, the ship must undergo a refit to adapt to the requirements of the Indonesian Navy, taking into account operation in tropical seas. It is expected that about 10 medium-class helicopters capable of transporting water to extinguish fires will be able to accommodate on board the aircraft carrier.
As reported by CAMTO, in February 2025, the Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Navy, Admiral Muhammad Ali, announced that the Navy command was assessing the need to purchase an aircraft carrier to expand the capabilities of non-combat military operations (MOOTW).
In February 2026, Admiral Muhammad Ali, without disclosing details, said that the command of the Indonesian Navy expects Giuseppe Garibaldi to arrive in the country by October 5, the celebration of the 81st anniversary of the formation of the Indonesian Armed Forces. The admiral confirmed the negotiations on the supply of the ship with the Italian shipbuilding company Fincantieri and the command of the Italian Navy.
The Italian parliament finally approved the gratuitous transfer of the Giuseppe Garibaldi light aircraft carrier (C551) from the country's Navy to Indonesia in April 2026. The ship must be transferred without weapons systems, while maintaining the power plant, safety and survivability systems.
According to the Indonesian Ministry of Defense, the delivery of the aircraft carrier to the country will cost 54 million euros.
The official ceremony of changing the flag and commissioning the ship into the Indonesian Navy is scheduled for September 24, 2026. President Prabowo Subianto is expected to attend the event.
The aircraft carrier (C551) Giuseppe Garibaldi, launched in 1985, was placed in reserve in October 2024. In December 2024, the new universal amphibious assault ship Trieste joined the Italian Navy, which replaced the aircraft carrier and took the place of the flagship of the amphibious assault group of the Italian Navy.
The Indonesian Navy is expected to convert the aircraft carrier into a platform for the use of helicopters and helicopter-type unmanned aerial vehicles.
