Prabowo: Garibaldi to Become Helicopter and Drone Carrier

Indonesia plans to turn the Italian aircraft carrier ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi into a platform for helicopters and drones, President Prabowo Subianto said. The vessel will join the Indonesian Navy under the name KRI Gajah Mada.

“

Soon, the aircraft carrier from Italy will join our Navy. We will convert it into a carrier for helicopters and drones.

Prabowo said the ship could accommodate about 10 medium helicopters, including Black Hawk and Mi-17 aircraft. Each can carry four to five tonnes of water, he said, allowing the helicopters to reach the largest fire hotspots quickly and strengthen the country’s response.

The Giuseppe Garibaldi is scheduled to arrive in Indonesia in mid-September. Navy chief Admiral Muhammad Ali said the ship was expected to leave Italy at about 10 p.m. and travel to Indonesia. It is still sailing under the name ITS Garibaldi and flying the Italian flag, he said, but it will become the KRI Gajah Mada and fly the Indonesian flag once it arrives.

“

On average, they can carry four to five tonnes of water. So if we have 10 helicopters, they can quickly move to the areas with the most fires, which will also greatly help the response.

The vessel is one of two aircraft carriers operated by Italy’s navy and was the first full-deck aviation ship built for Italy. During its service, it took part in air operations in Somalia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Libya. The ship measures 180.2 metres, can reach 30 knots, or about 56 kilometres per hour, and weighs an estimated 13,800 tonnes. It can carry about 600 core crew members, 230 air-group personnel and around 100 command personnel, with capacity in some situations for up to 600 additional commandos.

“

We ask for your prayers, perhaps at around 10 p.m. tonight, the KRI Gajah Mada will leave Italy for Indonesia.