Italian Parliament Yet to Approve Garibaldi Aircraft Carrier Gift to Indonesia
ROME — The Italian government’s plan to donate the Giuseppe Garibaldi aircraft carrier (C551) to Indonesia has provoked controversy, with the Italian Parliament questioning the policy of granting the aircraft carrier, valued at €54 million or approximately Rp 1 trillion, to Jakarta without charge.
According to Il Fatto Quotidiano’s edition of 12 March 2026, the controversy originated from a letter sent by the Head of the Logistics Agency of Indonesia’s Defence Ministry (Kabaloghan) Air Chief Marshal Yusuf Jauhari, dated 25 September 2025, to the Italian government. The letter was addressed to the Director of National Armaments of Italy’s Defence Ministry, Rear Admiral Giacinto Ottaviani.
Italian parliamentarians questioned why the letter from Indonesia’s Defence Ministry was never sent to the Italian Parliament. This was confirmed by Italian Deputy Interior Minister Isabella Rauti on Tuesday. Rauti is the spokeswoman for Italy’s Defence Ministry on the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee of the Senate.
Committee members were called to vote on a decree by Italy’s Defence Minister Guido Crosetto (following consultation with Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani) transferring the Garibaldi aircraft carrier to Indonesia without charge. The Senate raised questions regarding payment by Indonesia’s Defence Ministry to Italian private company Drass, a builder of mini-submarines.
Rauti’s response to the Commission failed to satisfy the opposition, which requested and obtained a postponement of the vote: they demanded further clarification about the donation of the aircraft carrier to Jakarta. The opposition also requested that Defence Minister Guido Crosetto appear directly in parliament to provide an explanation.
The opposition emphasised that their approval is not merely a formality. Without binding approval, the opposition threatened, the aircraft carrier donation process could not proceed. Consequently, the vote to ratify the aircraft carrier donation in the Committee is likely to be delayed until after the political referendum in late March 2026.
Unsatisfied with the executive’s response, the opposition faction published Indonesia’s Defence Ministry letter in Il Fatto Quotidiano. The letter contained several references to Drass, a company owned by Sergio Cappelletti, which had previously funded the Brothers of Italy party (Fratelli d’Italia), led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, €10,000 in 2022 and €7,500 between 2019 and 2020, as reported by Il Domani.
In the letter, under the heading “Payment Facilitation,” it stated: “Should applicable legislation prevent direct payment from Indonesia’s Defence Ministry to Italy’s Defence Ministry, Indonesia’s Defence Ministry shall designate Drass Galeazzi as the entity appointed to fulfil this obligation, in accordance with the applicable exchange/swap process. Drass Galeazzi shall be compensated in accordance with applicable provisions.”
There is then a paragraph entitled “Compensation Value.” The letter states: “The offset value generated by the transfer of the Garibaldi ITS will be credited by Indonesia’s Defence Ministry to the account of the appointed partner, Drass Galeazzi.”