Indonesia’s navy commissioned its first aircraft carrier Thursday, renaming the former Italian ship KRI Sriwijaya-100. It will serve as a mobile command and support hub for helicopters, drones and maritime operations across the archipelago.
The former ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi was retired by Italy in 2024 and reached Indonesia last week after a 25-day voyage through the Suez Canal, Red Sea and Indian Ocean. It can accommodate aircraft capable of short takeoffs and vertical landings, as well as helicopters.
President Prabowo Subianto said the ship would help fight forest and peatland fires that regularly blanket parts of Southeast Asia with hazardous haze. Italy agreed in March to give the carrier as part of broader defense engagement with Indonesia; it is also seeking submarine and aircraft deals, and the gift saves it decommissioning costs. Indonesia is the second Southeast Asian country with an aircraft carrier, after Thailand commissioned the HTMS Chakri Naruebet in 1997.
