Set to Become Indonesia's First Aircraft Carrier, Here are the Functions of the Italian Giuseppe Garibaldi
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The Ministry of Defence (Kemenhan) has explained a number of benefits of the Giuseppe Garibaldi aircraft carrier from Italy, which will be donated to Indonesia.
Head of the Defence Information Bureau of the Ministry of Defence, Brigadier General TNI Rico Ricardo Sirait, revealed that the aircraft carrier will support Non-War Military Operations (OMSP).
“Because it has a helideck, it can accommodate up to six helicopters, even more, on its deck,” Rico explained in the Menteng area, Jakarta, Wednesday (25/2/2026).
In addition, the Giuseppe Garibaldi aircraft carrier also allows smaller ships in the vicinity to carry out fuel replenishment and distribution of logistical assistance more effectively and efficiently.
“For example, when we had a disaster in Sumatra, it would make it easier for helicopters to distribute logistics, distribute goods, people, and so on without having to go back and forth to a base or airbase that is quite far away,” Rico explained.
“There is no intention from our nation, the Indonesian nation, that by having an aircraft carrier like this, it will be aggressive, there is none. So there is no invasive nature,” said Rico.
Meanwhile, the Assistant for Operations of the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Yayan Sofiyan, said that the Indonesian Navy must prepare approximately 500 sailors to become the crew of the future Indonesian aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi.
“The personnel consist of around 500 sailors who must crew it. From now on, up to the officer level, they must have special 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, Wednesday (25/2/2026), quoted from Antara.
Yayan added that the number of ship’s crew could even be more than 500 because it does not include non-core crew, namely outside the navigation crew to pilots.
Not to mention the logistical needs for the crew who will be on duty on the ship for a long time.
Yayan believes that the Indonesian Navy is ready to meet these needs for the maximum operation of the aircraft carrier.
The Giuseppe Garibaldi aircraft carrier is a grant or free aircraft carrier from the Italian Government, but the Ministry of Defence still allocates a budget for the retrofit or adjustment process.
To date, the Ministry of Defence is still in negotiations with the Italian shipyard, Fincantieri, which produces this aircraft carrier.
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