100 TNI AL Personnel Trained as Crew for Garibaldi Aircraft Carrier in Italy
The Ministry of Defence (Kemhan) has announced that approximately 100 TNI AL (Indonesian Navy) personnel will be dispatched to Italy for training before becoming crew members of the Giuseppe Garibaldi aircraft carrier.
“Around 100 personnel are planned to undergo training in Italy, including direct on-board training during the voyage from Italy to Indonesia,” said Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait, Head of the Defence Information Bureau (Karo Infohan) of the Ministry of Defence Secretariat General, on Friday (27 February), as quoted by Antara news agency.
Rico stated that this training programme represents the initial phase of crew development before the vessel enters service under the TNI AL. However, he did not disclose the training schedule, only confirming that the selected personnel are the best TNI AL personnel with experience in maritime operations, both technically and practically.
Previously, Rear Admiral Yayan Sofiyan, Assistant for Operations to the Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Navy, stated that the TNI AL must prepare approximately 500 sailors to crew the Giuseppe Garibaldi aircraft carrier. “We need around 500 sailors to crew the vessel. From now onwards, at all officer levels, personnel must possess the specific competencies required for operating an aircraft carrier,” Yayan said during an online discussion titled “Indonesia’s Blue Water Transition: Why High-Value ASW/AAW Assets Will Decide Its Credibility” held on Wednesday (25 February).
Yayan continued that the total crew requirement could exceed 500 personnel as this figure does not include non-core crew such as those for navigation and aviation operations. Beyond personnel, the Navy must also prepare supporting infrastructure for the aircraft carrier, including berthing facilities and other technical requirements. Additionally, logistical support for the crew serving on the vessel for extended periods must be established.
“Consider the logistics required to support 500 crew members berthed at a location. That is just the core crew. There is also the aviation crew, aviation systems and so forth,” Yayan noted.
Despite the extensive preparations required, Yayan expressed confidence that the TNI AL is capable of meeting these requirements for optimal aircraft carrier operations.
Currently, the TNI AL remains awaiting the acquisition process being conducted at the level of the Ministry of Defence and the Italian authorities, as well as Fincantieri, the shipbuilding company.