Aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi enters Indonesian waters

The Indonesian Navy's Information Bureau Head, Commodore Tunggul, confirmed on Thursday that the Italian-built aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi had entered Indonesian waters. The ship is set to arrive in Jakarta tomorrow, Friday, September 18. It has recently docked in Sri Lanka before making its way to Indonesia.

The carrier was escorted by Italian naval warships throughout its journey from Italy. Upon entering Indonesian waters, two Indonesian Navy warships welcomed the ship and escorted it to the Tanjung Priok pier in Jakarta. Two additional frigates, KRI Brawijaya-320 and KRI Prabu Siliwangi-321, will also be accompanying the aircraft carrier.

High-ranking officials from the Indonesian military (TNI) and the Ministry of Defense are expected to greet the ship. Earlier, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto had ordered the conversion of the Giuseppe Garibaldi into a platform for helicopters and drones to combat forest fires. The ship can accommodate up to 10 medium-class helicopters, such as the Black Hawk and MI-17, which can carry about 4-5 tons of water each to aid in disaster management.

President Prabowo believes that with 10 helicopters, the carrier will be able to quickly reach the areas most affected by the fires, significantly improving the response time and efficiency. Some adjustments will likely be made to accommodate this new purpose.