Indonesia to Involve Local Firms in Giuseppe Garibaldi Carrier Retrofit

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Ministry of Defense has stated that the retrofit and modernization of the aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi will be carried out domestically. The former Italian Navy aircraft carrier is targeted to arrive in Indonesia ahead of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) Anniversary on October 5th.

Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait, Head of the Defense Information Bureau of the Ministry of Defense's Secretariat General, stated that the Ministry of Defense will involve national companies and shipyards in the retrofit and modernization process.

"As part of strengthening the capacity of the national defense industry," Rico told Tempo on Wednesday, March 4, 2026.

However, he did not provide details regarding the names of the Indonesian companies or shipyards that will be involved in the retrofit and modernization of the 180.2-meter-long ship.

Rico stated that the company or shipyard that will be entrusted with the work will be determined through a selection process. "In accordance with applicable procurement mechanisms," he said.

The acquisition of the Giuseppe Garibaldi aircraft carrier from Italy to Indonesia was carried out through a grant through a government-to-government mechanism between Jakarta and Rome. Although a grant, the government still allocated a budget for maintenance and capability enhancements.

The budget required for maintenance and modernization, including the installation of combat systems, for this 43-year-old ship to meet the operational needs of the Indonesian Navy is estimated to reach Rp 7.2 trillion.

"Once officially accepted and operational, the ship is planned to function as a headquarters ship for operations," Rico told Tempo on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.

The desire to acquire the Giuseppe Garibaldi aircraft carrier has been apparent since President Prabowo Subianto became Minister of Defense.

At that time, Prabowo visited Italy to discuss the modernization of Indonesia's defense equipment in late 2022. This agenda continued when Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff General Muhammad Ali personally inspected the aircraft carrier.

Read: Indonesia Denies Aircraft Carrier Grant Linked to Arms Buy

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