Welcoming KRI Sriwijaya
Indonesia has commissioned its first aircraft carrier, but turning the aging Italian warship into a drone-bearing force multiplier will demand steep investments in crew, escorts and maintenance to avoid a costly white elephant.
Indonesia has commissioned its first aircraft carrier, repurposing the aging Italian warship Giuseppe Garibaldi into the KRI Sriwijaya. The handover ceremony took place on Thursday, formally transferring the decommissioned vessel to the Indonesian Navy. This marks the historic addition of the nation's first aircraft carrier to its fleet.
The carrier's arrival concludes years of debate regarding the necessity of a flattop for an archipelagic nation. However, the transition from acquisition to operation presents significant challenges. Indonesia must now ensure that the asset is effectively utilized rather than becoming a costly white elephant. While the aircraft carrier typically implies expeditionary strike warfare, Indonesia's strategic priorities differ. It is neither an expansionist power nor driven by overseas hegemony ambitions.
The vessel's original air-combat configuration is no longer feasible, as the McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II, which the Garibaldi operated, is out of production. The sole Western successor, the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II, also remains inaccessible due to technical difficulties and geopolitical considerations. Consequently, the Navy is shifting towards an adaptive doctrine, focusing on military operations other than war (MOOTW), particularly humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) missions.
Geographically located along the Pacific Ring of Fire, Indonesia faces intensifying climate-induced emergencies, necessitating maritime assets as rapid-response hubs. Helicopters, due to their speed and versatility, will form the core of this disaster-mitigation capability. The Sriwijaya will significantly expand Indonesia's power-projection capabilities.
Prior to this acquisition, the nation had already utilized its five landing platform docks and three dedicated hospital ships for humanitarian deployments, providing medical aid to Egypt and the South Pacific.
In addition to its humanitarian role, the Sriwijaya will host a modern unmanned air wing, deploying Turkish unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) procured from Turkey. These drones include 12 Anka and 60 Bayraktar TB-3 naval drones. As the Navy prepares to field this unmanned air wing, it will expand Indonesia's diplomatic and strategic reach, while remaining focused on MOOTW missions.
Written by urgent.news from The Jakarta Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
