Indonesian Navy confirms aircraft carrier to be deployed for forest fire response
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) has confirmed that the aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi will be deployed immediately to handle forest and land fires (karhutla), in accordance with directives from President Prabowo Subianto.
“The Garibaldi is planned to arrive in Indonesia and will serve as an aircraft carrier for helicopters and drones, capable of accommodating medium-class helicopters that can transport 4-5 tonnes of water. The hope is that it can quickly reach fire hotspots and assist in rapid forest fire suppression,” said the Head of the Indonesian Navy’s Information Service (Kadispenal), Rear Admiral TNI Tunggul, when confirmed by ANTARA in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Tunggul did not provide detailed information regarding the specific preparations to be undertaken by the ship’s crew or the types of equipment that will be transported for fire management. However, he confirmed that the deployment of the aircraft carrier will proceed immediately once the Italian-built vessel arrives in Indonesia.
“Currently, the Garibaldi is positioned in the Arabian Sea. If there are no obstacles, it is scheduled to arrive in the country on 17 September 2026.”
President Prabowo Subianto stated that the aircraft carrier from Italy will soon join the ranks of the Indonesian Navy and will subsequently be modified to support the operation of helicopters and drones. He announced this plan while presiding over a limited meeting discussing disaster management developments via video conference in Jakarta on Monday (7/9).
“Alhamdulillah, the aircraft carrier from Italy will soon join our Navy. We will refurbish it and modify it to become a carrier for helicopters and drones,” explained President Prabowo, as monitored via a live broadcast from the Presidential Secretariat.
According to him, the vessel will eventually be able to accommodate up to 10 medium-class helicopters. President Prabowo noted that the helicopters operated from the ship, such as the Black Hawk and Mi-17, can typically carry approximately 4-5 tonnes of water.
With this capacity, Prabowo believes the presence of the ship and helicopters will strengthen the government’s response to forest fires, particularly when large numbers of fire hotspots emerge. “If we have 10 helicopters, they can immediately move to the areas with the most fire hotspots. This will greatly assist our response,” said President Prabowo.
President Prabowo emphasised that this plan is part of the government’s efforts to strengthen mitigation and preparedness for disasters. According to Prabowo, various disaster management facilities must be prepared well before a disaster occurs so that the government can respond swiftly when emergencies arise.
“Therefore, we must prepare for mitigation; we must not wait for the event to happen. We must prepare much further in advance,” said President Prabowo.