Indonesia plans firefighting role for its first aircraft carrier as ex-Italian vessel nears arrival

Indonesia’s first aircraft carrier, the former Italian navy ship ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi, is expected to arrive on 17 September after a delivery voyage from Italy, according to the state news agency Antara. Upon arrival, the 10,000-tonne vessel will be renamed KRI Gajah Mada, honouring a medieval Javanese military leader.

President Prabowo Subianto has indicated the ship’s first mission will be unconventional: serving as a mobile firefighting base, embarking helicopters equipped for that role. He cited the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and the Russian Helicopters Mi-17 as types that could be configured for the task.

The announcement comes as peatland fires — an annual consequence of land clearing across the archipelago — once again blanket parts of Southeast Asia in haze. Aviation analytics firm Cirium lists Indonesia’s army as operating nine Mi-17s, while the country does not currently operate the UH-60, though it previously planned to acquire PZL-Mielec-built S-70Is. Media reports indicate privately operated UH-60L helicopters have already supported firefighting efforts on the islands.

Operational hurdles ahead

Converting the carrier into a functioning fire base will take time. Shipboard flight operations demand extensive training even for experienced crews, and helicopters not built for maritime service face corrosion from salt air. Storage poses a further constraint: the Mi-17’s rotor blades do not fold, preventing it from using the ship’s elevators to reach the hangar deck. The UH-60L’s blades fold manually, but the type lacks the automated folding systems of purpose-built naval rotorcraft such as the SH-60 and MH-60R/S.

Longer-term aviation plans

Indonesia ultimately intends to modify the ship to operate UAVs (uncrewed aerial vehicles) and helicopters. Jakarta has commitments for 60 Bayraktar TB3 drones, a type that has flown test operations from a comparable vessel. The Indonesian navy already operates nine Airbus Helicopters AS565 Panther anti-submarine warfare helicopters well suited to shipboard use.

In Italian service, Giuseppe Garibaldi operated Boeing AV-8B Harrier II STOVL (short take-off and vertical landing) fighters alongside helicopters including the Agusta-Bell 212, Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King, and Leonardo Helicopters AW101. Leonardo, the Italian aerospace group, remains active in defence electronics through its US-listed subsidiary Leonardo DRS, which last traded at $36.94, down 0.81% from a prior close of $37.24, with a market capitalisation of roughly $9.88 billion.

What to watch

• The vessel’s scheduled 17 September arrival in Indonesian waters and its formal renaming to KRI Gajah Mada.
• Any announcements on helicopter type selection and modification work for the firefighting mission.
• Progress on Indonesia’s planned UAV integrations, including the 60-unit Bayraktar TB3 commitment.
• Indonesia’s next defence budget updates and procurement disclosures regarding S-70I plans.

Source: original release