Pride or practicality? Indonesia receives first aircraft carrier amid fears of upkeep cost

Indonesia welcomed its first aircraft carrier on Friday, a former Italian warship that the government says will strengthen the archipelago nation’s maritime security and disaster response capabilities.The 41-year-old former ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi, with capacity for short take-off and vertical landing aircraft and helicopters, was welcomed with a military ceremony upon its arrival at a naval base in North Jakarta’s Tanjung Priok seaport.Rome in March agreed to give the carrier, which was retired in 2024, to Indonesia in a move aimed at boosting Italy’s broader defence engagement with the Southeast Asian country. Italy is seeking deals on submarines and aircraft, and gifting the carrier to Indonesia also saves it the cost of decommissioning the ship.“We intend to use the ship primarily for military operations other than war, although it can also be deployed for combat missions if necessary,” Indonesian Navy chief Admiral Muhammad Ali told reporters after the ceremony. He said the carrier could serve the navy for another 15 to 20 years and could accommodate 14 helicopters or more, depending on their size.Members of the Italian Navy stand on the deck of the former Italian Navy aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi as it moors at Tanjung Priok port in Jakarta on Friday, ahead of its handover to the Indonesian Navy. Photo: AFPIndonesia will become the second country in Southeast Asia with an aircraft carrier. Thailand’s HTMS Chakri Naruebet was commissioned in 1997 after being procured from Spain along with carrier-capable AV-8S Matador jump jets.Ali said the carrier would be commissioned into the navy next week as the KRI Sriwijaya, honouring the Srivijaya empire, a maritime kingdom based in Sumatra that became one of Southeast Asia’s dominant naval and trading powers between the seventh and 13th centuries. Previously, the navy said it would name the carrier KRI Gajah Mada.Defence development was one of the top priorities for President Prabowo Subianto’s administration, as he has advocated an expansion of the military through the purchase of submarines, frigates, fighter jets, and missiles and pushed for more defence cooperation with various countries.But the Garibaldi acquisition has raised questions about whether Indonesia needs an aircraft carrier at all and whether the government should be spending millions of dollars to refurbish and operate an ageing warship.