Jakarta (ANTARA) - Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) Admiral Muhammad Ali confirmed that the navy is planning to acquire Giuseppe Garibaldi, an aircraft carrier that once served as the flagship of the Italian Navy.
"We are in the process of acquiring an aircraft carrier that was once commissioned by the Italian Navy, namely Giuseppe Garibaldi, in a bid to strengthen our defense posture," he told the media in Tanjung Priok, Jakarta, on Monday.
If successful, the acquisition would make the decommissioned Italian flagship, retired in October 2024, Indonesia’s first-ever aircraft carrier.
Speaking during a welcome ceremony for the new Italy-manufactured frigate KRI Brawijaya 320, Admiral Ali noted that the plan is to deploy Giuseppe Garibaldi primarily for non-combat military operations.
"We intend to focus the ship on non-war military operations, but it may also be deployed for other missions related to combat," he elaborated.
The navy chief did not provide details about the progress of the acquisition process involving the TNI AL, the Ministry of Defense, and Italian authorities, nor did he disclose the purchase value of the retired vessel.
Baca juga: Bank Jatim jaga rekor tidak terkalahkan di Livoli Divisi Utama
Giuseppe Garibaldi was built by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, the same company that produced Indonesian warships KRI Brawijaya 320 and KRI Prabu Siliwangi 321.
Launched in 1983, the former Italian flagship measures 180.2 meters in length and can reach a top speed of 30 knots, or about 56 kilometers per hour.
Baca juga: Insiden di Teluk Ekas, TNI AL dan PolPP Lotim saling bersitegang saat patroli
The carrier is also equipped with radar jamming systems, an octuple Mk. 29 launcher for RIM-7 Sea Sparrow and Selenia Aspide anti-aircraft missiles, the Oto Melara 40L70 DARDO close-in weapon system, triple 324 mm anti-submarine torpedo tubes, and Otomat Mk 2 surface-to-surface missiles.
