Indonesia Takes Delivery of a "Free" Aircraft Carrier
The Indonesian Navy is giving new life to Italy's first aircraft carrier, the 1985-built ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi, which arrived in Jakarta on Friday to begin a career as KRI Gajah Mada. The vessel served Italy in multiple conflicts over the span of 40 years, but has been out of commission since 2024; she has been gifted to the Indonesian government and will be revived as a helicopter carrier.
Garibaldi was envisioned as a cruiser-carrier, capable of combat in her own right, and was fitted with torpedo tubes and missile launchers for self-defense against surface and aerial threats. In her prime, an air wing of up to 16 AV-8B Harrier jump-jets - a design also used by the U.S. Marine Corps and the Royal Navy - provided reach. She contributed to air support during the war in Kosovo, participated in the early stages of the U.S. occupation of Afghanistan after September 11, and joined the Italian contribution to the no-fly zone mission over Libya in 2011.
Garibaldi's position as the Italian Navy's flagship came to an end in 2009 with the delivery of the Cavour, a larger carrier equipped for the modern F-35B stealth fighter. An even larger helicopter carrier, the Trieste - an amphib with a well deck as well as a flight deck - delivered in 2024; with Trieste's arrival, Garibaldi retired from service.
Seeing an opportunity to acquire a carrier at a favorable cost, the Indonesian Navy expressed its interest in buying Garibaldi in early 2025. After study, the Italian Navy determined that the most economical course of action would be to gift the carrier to Indonesia, thereby avoiding the expense of upkeep and an approved demolition plan. Despite political opposition, the Italian Senate signed off on the transfer, and the Indonesian government became the owner of a carrier overnight. Indonesia paid for the long-distance delivery voyage at a cost of approximately $60 million, but the vessel itself was free of charge. She departed in late August and arrived Friday, in ample time for her formal renaming and commissioning ceremony.
that matters most
Get the latest maritime news delivered to your inbox daily.
Indonesia still has to invest in the support infrastructure and upkeep that a carrier requires. Its navy is building out a pier and other support facilities at the naval base in Ratai Bay, Sumatra. It also plans to spend significant sums on modernization and refurbishment for the vessel's long-term use.
Indonesia's plan is to use the vessel as a helicopter carrier - though she could also be adapted for use as a drone carrier, taking advantage of long-range drone aircraft that Indonesia already owns, as noted by The War Zone. Disaster response is a likely mission set: This week, President Prabowo Subianto called for a large investment in the nation's helicopter fleet for that purpose.
