Indonesia acquires first aircraft carrier amid military upgrade

Indonesia says vessel will be used to aid disaster relief across the archipelago, but its arrival comes amid drive to upgrade the military.Published On 18 Sep 202618 Sep 2026Indonesia has welcomed the delivery of its first-ever aircraft carrier with a military ceremony as the vessel arrived at a naval base.The 41-year-old former Italian navy vessel Giuseppe Garibaldi docked in North Jakarta’s Tanjung Priok seaport on Friday, after sailing from Italy via Colombo and the Malacca strait, Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff Muhammad Ali told reporters.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Rough seas hinder search for 129 missing in Indonesia after ship capsizeslist 2 of 3El Nino reaches super status: Where will it bring rain, drought and heat?list 3 of 3Climate change had major role in triggering Nepal floods, scientists sayend of listIndonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto says the ship will be used to manage disasters across the archipelago. However, it arrives amid a drive to upgrade the military.The 180-metre (590-foot) vessel can carry up to 18 helicopters and accommodate up to 830 personnel, a navy spokesperson said in a statement.The carrier will be renamed KRI Sriwijaya, hono...