Ministry of Defence: 100 Indonesian Navy personnel to train in Italy as future aircraft carrier crew

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Head of the Defence Information Bureau (Karo Infohan) of the Ministry of Defence Secretariat, Brigadier General TNI Rico Ricardo Sirait, stated that 100 Indonesian Navy personnel will be sent to Italy to undergo training before becoming crew members of the Giuseppe Garibaldi aircraft carrier.

“Approximately 100 personnel are planned to participate in training in Italy, including practical training on board the ship during the voyage from Italy to Indonesia,” said Rico when confirmed by ANTARA in Jakarta, Friday.

Rico said that this training is the initial stage of developing the future crew of the ship before it operates under the Indonesian Navy.

However, Rico did not explain when the training would take place. He only confirmed that the selected personnel are the best soldiers of the Indonesian Navy who have experience in the field of shipping, both technically and practically.

Previously, the Assistant for Operations of the Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Navy, Rear Admiral Yayan Sofiyan, said that the Indonesian Navy must prepare approximately 500 sailors to become crew members of the future Indonesian aircraft carrier, the Giuseppe Garibaldi.

“There are about 500 sailors who must crew the ship. From now on, up to the officer level, they must have specific competencies as crew members of an aircraft carrier,” said Yayan in a discussion entitled “Indonesia’s Blue Water Transition: Why High-Value ASW/AAW Assets Will Decide Its Credibility” which was held online, Wednesday (25/2).

In addition to the crew, the Navy must also prepare supporting infrastructure for the aircraft carrier, such as docking facilities and other technical needs that the ship must have.

Not to mention the logistical needs for the crew who will be assigned to the ship for an extended period.

“We can imagine that docking in a place requires logistical support for a crew of 500. This is only the core crew. There is also a crew for aviation, aviation systems, and so on,” said Yayan.

Although there are many preparations to be made, Yayan is confident that the Indonesian Navy is ready to meet these needs for the maximum operation of the aircraft carrier.

To date, the Indonesian Navy is still awaiting the acquisition process, which is underway at the Ministry of Defence and with the Italian side, as well as Fincantieri as the shipbuilding company.