Indonesia Prepares For First Aircraft Carrier
INDONESIA is preparing for the impending arrival of its first aircraft carrier–the retired Giuseppe Garibaldi from Italy, this comes after Italy’s parliament approved the carrier’s donation to Indonesia which according to the administration would strengthen relations with an ally while avoiding the costly dismantling of an obsolete asset.
Italy’s parliament backed a government plan to donate the Giuseppe Garibaldi valued at €54 million to Indonesia before the end of April with Indonesian media reporting that Jakarta’s acceptance of the donation would be more time-efficient and cost-effective than buying a new ship, and could be useful for aid distribution in disasters. According to reports, Italy is looking to finalise the transfer by December and is part of a broader strategy to expand business with Indonesia. Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni’s government is reportedly seeking to finalise sales of Italian submarine and aircraft to Indonesia worth about €1.5 billion.
A parliamentary report stated that transferring the carrier to Indonesia would save Italy maintenance costs estimated at around €5M only for last year or the nearly €19M required for dismantling the ship. “Structural wear and the obsolescence of onboard systems” mean it “no longer meets current capability and operational requirements,” according to a government document.
According to the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) chief Admiral Muhammad Ali, the TNI-AL is preparing several naval bases to accommodate the Giuseppe Garibaldi, stating that personnel has since been assigned and would soon be sent to Italy while the infrastructure is being prepared to support operations of Indonesia’s first carrier.
Presently, the TNI-AL awaits further coordination from the Indonesian defence ministry which is in charge negotiations with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri over the vessel’s transfer. Defence minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said in March that the carrier would be undergoing modifications in Indonesia by state-owned shipbuilders PT PAL according to Indonesian needs.
Additionally, Indonesia was also reportedly acquiring 60 units of the Bayraktar TB3 and 9 Akincis from Turkiye’s Baykar which would be produced locally. With over 887 hours of flight time throughout its testing, the TB3 can carry a payload of 280kg and an endurance of over 21 hours. The TB3 marked a historic achievement by being the first UCAV to take off and land on a short-deck vessels, signifcant due to reports of Indonesia planning to transform the Giuseppe Garibaldi into a drone carrier.
In another development, Indonesia deployed warships and aircraft for a readiness operation as part of the security support for ASEAN Summit in Cebu, the Philippines. The TNI-AL’s latest and largest surface combatants–the KRI Brawijaya and KRI Prabu Siliwangi were deployed alongside Martadinata-class frigate KRI RE Martadinata and five F-16 fighter aircraft, C-130 and A400M transport aircraft to North Sulawesi.
Aside from securing the ASEAN Summit in Cebu, the readiness operation tested the interoperability of forces, the mobility of personnel, the capabilities of VVIP security, and the ability to respond swiftly to emergencies. Indonesia took delivery of its second Multipurpose Combat Ships/Pattugliatore Polivalente d’Altura (MPCS/PPA) class offshore patrol vessel (OPV) KRI Prabu Siliwangi from Fincantieri in late March.