Indonesia welcomes former Italian warship as its first aircraft carrier

Indonesia welcomed the arrival of its first aircraft carrier on Friday, a 41-year-old former Italian Navy vessel, its latest big arms procurement as it seeks to modernise its ageing military assets.

The former Italian carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi docked at a port in Jakarta after sailing from Italy via Colombo and the Malacca strait, Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff Muhammad Ali told reporters.

The carrier will be renamed the KRI Sriwijaya next week and will focus on non-military operations including disaster relief, he said.

"There are many disasters in this country. So we really need a vessel or platform that could carry many helicopters, because the helicopters can drop logistics quickly to remote areas," Ali said.

"Its condition is still very good and hopefully it can be used by the Indonesian Navy for the next 15 to 20 years."

The 180-metre (590-feet) vessel could carry up to 18 helicopters and accommodate up to 830 personnel, navy spokesman Tunggul, who, like many Indonesians, uses one name, said in a statement.

The vessel was commissioned into the Italian navy in 1985.

President Prabowo Subianto, a former general elected in 2024, has been pushing to modernise Indonesia's ageing military assets and build closer defence cooperation with other countries.

Jakarta signed an $8.1 billion deal in 2022 under Probowo, then the defence minister, to purchase 42 French-made Rafale fighters. Six jets had been delivered by May.

India confirmed in July, as Prabowo hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Jakarta, that it will supply Indonesia with long-range missiles.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced in April that Washington and Jakarta had elevated their cooperation into a "Major Defence Cooperation Partnership".

Indonesia also signed a security treaty with Australia in February, paving the way for closer military cooperation that includes Canberra's support for the development of training facilities intended for joint drills.