Ministry of Defense Assesses Operational Needs of the Garibaldi Aircraft Carrier
The Ministry of Defense is still calculating the operational, maintenance, and modernization costs for Indonesia’s first aircraft carrier, the Giuseppe Garibaldi. The vessel will be granted by the Italian government to Indonesia.
Head of the Defense Information Bureau at the Ministry of Defense’s Secretariat General, Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait, said the cost assessment for the Fincantieri-built ship is being conducted jointly with the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI). “Currently, the Ministry of Defense together with the TNI is still carrying out comprehensive calculations and assessments regarding operational needs, maintenance, and modernization so that the ship can meet the standards and strategic requirements of the Indonesian Navy,” Rico said when contacted on Saturday, February 14, 2026.
The Ministry of Defense is also preparing adjustments to the weapons systems and technical support. Rico said Indonesia will outfit and adapt the vessel to suit the Navy’s operational needs. These adjustments encompass support systems, spare parts availability, and other technical configurations through the applicable planning stages.
Regarding any conditions or binding agreements attached to the grant, Rico emphasized that there are no special provisions beyond the standard intergovernmental grant mechanism. “There are no special provisions binding the use of the vessel beyond the intergovernmental grant mechanism, which is carried out in accordance with applicable rules and regulations,” he said.
Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Ali said the Italian-built aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi is targeted to arrive in Indonesia before the TNI anniversary on October 5, 2026. “The Garibaldi is still in process. The hope is that it can reach Indonesia before the TNI anniversary,” Ali said at a press conference in Jakarta on Thursday, February 12, 2026, as quoted from Antara.
The 180.2-meter-long carrier shares the same manufacturer as two of the Navy’s newest warships—KRI Brawijaya and KRI Prabu Siliwangi—all built by Italian shipyard Fincantieri. The Giuseppe Garibaldi can reach speeds of up to 30 knots, or approximately 56 kilometers per hour. The fighter jet-carrying vessel is equipped with radar jamming as well as a number of weapons systems, including an octuple Mk.29 launcher for Sea Sparrow/Selenia Aspide anti-aircraft missiles, twin Oto Melara 40L70 DARDO guns, triple 324-millimeter torpedo tubes, and Otomat Mk 2 surface-to-surface missiles.