Indonesia’s plan to acquire the former Italian Navy aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi (C 551) appears to be gathering pace, although a formal contract confirmation is yet to be made, Naval News reports.
As reported by the Indonesian state media outlet Antara News, Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) Chief of Staff Admiral Muhammad Ali stated that the service expects the aircraft carrier to arrive before the Indonesian National Armed Forces’ (TNI) 81st Anniversary on October 5.
However, the admiral did not explicitly state that Indonesia has purchased the vessel or that a contract has been signed. Instead, he explained that the Ministry of Defence remains in negotiations with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri and the Italian Navy.
Naval News Comments
The October 5 target date is important. The annual TNI anniversary is usually marked by a large-scale military parade and sail past, often used to showcase new acquisitions and major defence assets to the public.
If the former Italian carrier were to arrive before that date, it would likely feature prominently in the commemorations. Such a timeline suggests a more political and symbolic dimension to the proposed transfer to allow the government and navy to display “Indonesia’s first aircraft carrier capability” during the country’s most visible military events.
The short delivery window also raises operational questions. Indonesia has never operated an aircraft carrier, meaning that a rapid transfer would almost certainly require substantial involvement by Italian personnel. Therefore, it is plausible that the carrier, if transferred in time for October, would arrive with a sizeable Italian crew onboard to assist with basic operations.
A short delivery deadline would also imply that major refit or modification work would not be completed in Italy prior to transfer, thereby increasing the likelihood that it would take place in Indonesia after arrival.
As Naval News previously reported during Indo Defence 2025, an Indonesian private company, Republikorp, openly expressed interest in carrying out modification works on the Garibaldi should the transfer proceed.
At present, however, no official details have been released by the Indonesian Navy or the Ministry of Defence regarding the scope of potential upgrades.
Speculation about Indonesia’s interest in Garibaldi has intensified over the past two years. The discussions became more visible following Admiral Ali’s visit to the vessel in Italy in May 2024, where he was accompanied by the then Deputy Chief of the Italian Navy, Admiral Giuseppe Berutti Bergotto.
