Chinese and US Media Highlight Indonesia's First Aircraft Carrier, Giuseppe Garibaldi
Several foreign media outlets have highlighted the arrival of Indonesia’s first aircraft carrier from Italy, the Giuseppe Garibaldi. It was reported that the ship arrived at Tanjung Priok Port, North Jakarta, on Friday morning (18/09/2026).
Chinese media, such as Xinhua, noted the grand welcoming ceremony which commenced at approximately 07:53 local time. Indonesia even deployed five aircraft from the Indonesian Navy’s Aviation Centre to fly over the Tanjung Priok area.
“The Italian government has handed over the decommissioned aircraft carrier as a grant to Indonesia,” wrote the outlet in an article titled “Indonesia’s first aircraft carrier arrives in Jakarta”.
“The Indonesian Navy has named the aircraft carrier KRI Sriwijaya,” Xinhua added.
The Chinese outlet also included statements from Indonesian Navy spokesperson, Tunggul. He stated that the ship will primarily focus on non-war military operations, such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, while continuing to conduct routine maritime patrols and maritime diplomacy in the strategic waters of the surrounding region.
United States media, specifically the Associated Press (AP), also highlighted the aircraft carrier. In an article titled “Indonesia welcomes its first aircraft carrier, prompting debate over cost and military ambitions”, it reported that the aircraft carrier is 41 years old and that Indonesia has become the second country in Southeast Asia to possess one, following Thailand in 1997.
“The development of the defence sector is one of the main priorities of President Prabowo Subianto’s administration. He is pushing for the expansion of military strength through the procurement of submarines, frigates, fighter jets, and missiles, while continuing to seek increased defence cooperation with various countries,” the report stated.
AP also focused on the funding of the Garibaldi. It noted that the acquisition of the ship has triggered fierce debate among defence analysts, economists, and opposition politicians.
“They question whether Indonesia truly needs an aircraft carrier and whether the government should spend millions of dollars to refurbish and operate such an old warship amidst increasing domestic fiscal pressure,” AP explained.
“The Indonesian Ministry of Finance has approved funding of 450 million USD for the aircraft carrier programme in 2025. However, several members of parliament have warned that the total cost could be much higher. TB Hasanuddin, a member of Commission I of the House of Representatives, stated that the cost of retrofitting the aircraft carrier alone could reach 16 trillion rupiah (approximately 900 million USD),” the report added.