INDONESIA will soon receive its first aircraft carrier as the retired Giuseppe Garibaldi is expected to arrive in the country by September 20 with a joint crew concept, manned by personnel from the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) and the Italian Navy to facilitate the adaptation process and transfer of knowledge. Italy’s parliament approved the carrier’s donation to Indonesia earlier this year which according to the administration would strengthen relations with an ally while avoiding the costly dismantling of an obsolete asset.
TNI-AL Chief of Staff Admiral Muhammad Ali said that the ship would take on a new namesake upon its arrival, to be named after a national figure with several names being floated such as Gajah Mada and Commander Soedirman. The shortlisted names will be submitted to president Prabowo Subianto and defence minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin for final approval.
Scheduled to arrive ahead of the Indonesian National Armed Forces’ anniversary in October, the over-40-years-old aircraft carrier built by Italy’s Fincantieri will require extensive retrofitting and modernisation to meet the needs of the TNI-AL’s combat capability, a move which would reportedly cost between US$378 million and US$909 million. 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.
To operate the carrier, the TNI-AL has sent around 100 prospective crew members to Italy for theoretical and practical training. According to the TNI-AL, further batches of trainees will likely be required, as the aircraft carrier requires a crew of 500 personnel. The government is also preparing supporting infrastructure, including the Lampung Naval Base, which is projected to be among the naval installations to facilitate the carrier and reaching 76% completion as of July.
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, significant due to reports of Indonesia planning to transform theGiuseppe Garibaldi into a drone carrier.–shp/adj/dl (Pix:MARINA MILITARE)
