Indonesia’s new aircraft carrier is more vanity project than war machine

2026.03.22 02:20 The Italian aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi pictured in 2016. Photo: AFP If everything goes according to plan, Indonesia will be in possession of an aircraft carrier come Armed Forces Day on October 5. When that happens, it will become only the second country in Southeast Asia, after Thailand, to operate such a vessel. But this does not mean Indonesia’s maritime power will increase significantly. The issue here is prestige, not combat power. The warship in question is the Italian navy’s Giuseppe Garibaldi. The 14,000-tonne flat-top was commissioned in 1985 and equipped with a mix of AV-8B Harrier II short-take-off-and-vertical-landing fighter aircraft and anti-submarine warfare helicopters. The carrier saw action in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Libya, and took part in several humanitarian and disaster relief (HADR) operations before being decommissioned in 2024. The following year, the Italian government agreed to transfer it to Indonesia. A group of Indonesian sailors will soon depart for Italy to sail the Garibaldi home. The acquisition is part of President Prabowo Subianto’s ambitious plans to modernise Indonesia’s armed forces. But his decision to procure a second-hand carrier has been met by defence analysts with a healthy dose of scepticism. To be fair, that scepticism is warranted. Indonesian Navy personnel march during the military’s anniversary celebrations in Jakarta. Indonesia’s entire naval budget in 2025 was US$1.5 billion. Photo: Reuters Criticism of the deal falls into three main areas: age, cost and operational value. The Garibaldi was 39 years old when it was paid off. Despite two upgrades, in 2003 and 2013, it was effectively ready for the breaker’s yard. The ship has since been stripped of its weaponry and upon arrival in Indonesia will require a lengthy refit, possibly lasting several years. That refit may extend the vessel’s life by only five to 10 years, after which it will need to be scrapped – a timeline that is at odds with t

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