Indonesia receives first aircraft carrier from Italy amid debate over cost and purpose

Indonesia has received its first aircraft carrier, a former Italian warship that arrived at a naval base in North Jakarta on Friday morning. The vessel, the 41-year-old former ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi, was welcomed at Tanjung Priok port with a military ceremony. Indonesian officials say the ship will strengthen maritime security and disaster response capabilities in the archipelagic state.

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Italy agreed in March to transfer the carrier, which was retired in 2024, as part of a broader defence engagement with Indonesia. The move also saves Italy the cost of decommissioning the ship, while Rome continues to seek deals on submarines and aircraft with Jakarta. The carrier has capacity for short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft and helicopters, according to the supplied report.

The vessel is due to be formally commissioned into the Indonesian Navy next week under the name KRI Gajah Mada. The new name refers to the 14th-century Majapahit-era military leader whose campaigns and vision of a unified archipelago remain central to Indonesian historical memory. If completed as planned, the transfer would make Indonesia only the second country in south-east Asia to operate an aircraft carrier, after Thailand.

The arrival comes as defence development remains one of the priorities of President Prabowo Subianto's administration. He has advocated expanding the military through purchases of submarines, frigates, fighter jets and missiles, while also increasing defence cooperation with multiple countries. The carrier acquisition therefore sits within a wider push to modernise Indonesia's armed forces and expand its maritime reach.

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At the same time, the deal has triggered debate among defence analysts, economists and opposition politicians. Critics question whether Indonesia needs an aircraft carrier and whether the government should spend heavily to refurbish and operate an ageing warship while facing fiscal pressures at home. The finance ministry approved $450m in financing for the aircraft carrier programme in 2025, but some lawmakers have warned the final bill could be much higher.

What remains unclear is the full cost of retrofitting the ship and how it will be used in service once commissioned. The report does not set out a detailed operational role beyond maritime security and disaster response, and it is not clear how quickly the navy can integrate the vessel. Attention will now turn to next week's commissioning ceremony and to whether the government can answer questions about long-term spending, capability and strategic purpose.

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