On 18/9, Indonesia received the aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi from Italy. It is expected to be commissioned this week and renamed KRI Sriwijaya. The warship will operate for 15-20 years, focusing on non-military activities, including disaster relief.

The aid agreement between the two nations means Indonesia did not pay to acquire the Giuseppe Garibaldi. However, Jakarta may need to spend hundreds of millions of USD more to transform it into a useful asset.

The aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi docked at Tanjung Priok port, Jakarta, Indonesia on 18/9. *AFP*

According to Bloomberg, the Indonesian government's financial plan allows for foreign loans up to 450 million USD to support the aircraft carrier program and related equipment procurement. Indonesia's Antara news agency estimates that the renovation and modernization process for the vessel could cost up to 900 million USD.

Admiral Muhammad Ali, commander of the Indonesian Navy, stated that these efforts are expected to focus on adapting the Giuseppe Garibaldi to operational needs and tropical climate conditions. He did not specify the exact costs.

Admiral Ali emphasized that humanitarian aid and disaster response are priority missions for the aircraft carrier, though it also has the potential for combat operations. In such a scenario, KRI Sriwijaya would require escorting warships with air defense, anti-submarine warfare, electronic warfare capabilities, and submarines.

For Italy, transferring the Giuseppe Garibaldi is a cost-cutting measure. Maintaining the decommissioned vessel costs approximately 5,7 million USD annually, while demolition costs are estimated to exceed 20 million USD.

This transaction occurs as Indonesia faces the challenge of balancing its finances, with the vessel potentially becoming a financial burden. Yusuf Rendy Manilet, a strategic research manager at CORE Indonesia, a consulting firm, commented that receiving the Giuseppe Garibaldi for free "does not mean the project will have no budgetary impact."

"The core issue is not simply whether Indonesia should accept the Giuseppe Garibaldi, but whether they can afford to maintain the warship's combat readiness," the expert explained.

Indonesia has previously announced several large-scale defense procurement deals aimed at enhancing its combat capabilities and modernizing its forces. Recent agreements include the acquisition of Rafale fighter jets and Scorpene submarines from France, as well as Thaon di Revel-class frigates manufactured by Italy.

Meanwhile, plans to purchase used Mirage fighter jets were canceled due to budget constraints, and a proposal to acquire 24 advanced F-15EX fighter jets from the US is currently stalled.

The aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi docked at Tanjung Priok port, Jakarta, Indonesia on 18/9. *AFP*

The Giuseppe Garibaldi has a displacement of 13,850 tons and a crew of 830. Launched in 6/1983 and commissioned in 9/1985, it was the first naval vessel built by Italy to operate fixed-wing combat aircraft.

The warship has a maximum speed of 56 km/h and an operational range of 13,000 km. In addition to carrying up to 18 aircraft, the Giuseppe Garibaldi is equipped with two Sea Sparrow/Selenia Aspide air defense missile launchers with 16 ready-to-fire missiles, three 40 mm DARDO twin-barrel cannons, and two 324 mm torpedo tube clusters.

It served as the flagship of the Italian Navy for many years before the newer, larger aircraft carrier Cavour assumed this role in 2009. The Italian Navy decommissioned the Giuseppe Garibaldi in 10/2024.

By Nguyen Tien (Sources: gCaptain, AFP, Antara)