Gajah Mada and General Soedirman Proposed as Names for Indonesia's First Aircraft Carrier

The Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) has proposed two national hero names, Gajah Mada and General Soedirman, as candidates for the name of Indonesia’s first aircraft carrier. “One of the proposals is Gajah Mada, another is General Soedirman,” said Ali when met by journalists at the Naval Staff and Command School (Seskoal) building in Cipulir, South Jakarta, on Thursday. Ali did not elaborate in detail on the Navy’s reasons for putting forward the two names. Gajah Mada was a Mahapatih and war hero of the Majapahit Kingdom era. He is widely known for pioneering the Palapa Oath, which is considered the foundational concept of Nusantara unity. Soedirman, meanwhile, was a towering figure who influenced Indonesia’s military movement during the colonial period. He became one of only three generals in Indonesia to receive the five-star rank honour. Ali stated that the names will subsequently be submitted to President Prabowo Subianto and Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin for approval. Once the name is decided, it will be symbolically bestowed upon the ship when it arrives in 2026. The aircraft carrier, which previously bore the name Giuseppe Garibaldi, shares similarities with two new Indonesian Navy vessels, KRI Brawijaya 320 and KRI Prabu Siliwangi 321, as all were built by the Italian company Fincantieri. The 180.2-metre-long carrier is equipped with a powerful propulsion engine capable of driving the ship at a speed of 30 knots, or 56 kilometres per hour. The fighter aircraft transport ship is also fitted with various radar jamming systems and weaponry, including an Octuple Mk.29 launcher for Sea Sparrow/Selenia Aspide anti-aircraft missiles, twin Oto Melara 40L70 DARDO guns, 324 mm triple torpedo tubes, and Otomat Mk 2 SSM missiles.