Indonesia commissions former Italian vessel as first aircraft carrier

Indonesia’s navy commissioned its first aircraft carrier on Thursday, following the acquisition of a former Italian naval vessel, the South China Morning Post reports. The ship was formerly known as the ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi. During an official transfer ceremony at Tanjung Priok seaport in North Jakarta, the Italian flag was replaced by the Indonesian flag.

The vessel was renamed the KRI Sriwijaya-100 as it entered Indonesian service. The commissioning marks its formal transfer to Indonesia’s navy, although the supplied material does not provide details about the purchase process, the ship’s cost or its planned deployment. Indonesia said the carrier would strengthen the country’s maritime defences and support disaster response.

The report does not specify the aircraft, weapons or other equipment the vessel carries, nor does it give details of its crew or operational schedule. The acquisition gives Indonesia a new naval capability as it seeks to improve its ability to operate at sea. However, the available account does not state whether the ship has already undertaken an operational mission or when it will become fully active.

The ceremony was held in North Jakarta as part of the vessel’s official transfer. The supplied material includes the ship’s new name and its stated defence and emergency-response roles, but no further comments from Indonesian officials.