Prabowo Prepares Helicopter Carrier to Strengthen Disaster Response

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is preparing Indonesia’s first aircraft carrier to strengthen the government’s capacity to respond to forest fires and other natural disasters. The vessel, donated by the Italian Navy, will be modified into a helicopter carrier that can also support drone operations.

The vessel, which will later be named KRI Gajah Mada, is currently sailing from Italy to Indonesia and is expected to arrive between September 15 and 20, 2026. The government plans to use the vessel as part of efforts to build a faster and more integrated disaster response system.

Prabowo said the vessel would be capable of carrying up to 10 medium-sized helicopters, each able to carry several tons of water in a single operation. This capacity would allow the government to deploy aerial resources rapidly to areas affected by large-scale fires.

“God willing, the aircraft carrier from Italy will soon join the Indonesian Navy. We will convert it into a helicopter carrier, also for drones,” Prabowo said during a limited meeting on natural disaster management at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Monday, September 7, 2026.

According to Prabowo, having multiple helicopters stationed on the vessel would allow the government to deploy them closer to fire-affected areas. With a capacity to carry around four to five tons of water, the helicopters could support faster firefighting operations during large-scale forest and land fires.

In addition to the helicopter carrier, the government is also preparing aircraft to support weather modification operations. The government, together with the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), will study the most effective materials to improve the implementation of weather modification operations.

“We also need to procure drones that can drop water. There are large drones capable of carrying and dropping water. It would be better if they were stationed at the front lines,” he explained.

The enhanced capabilities are part of the government’s strategy to build a disaster response system that does not rely solely on deploying personnel after disasters occur. The helicopter carrier, weather modification aircraft, and firefighting drones are expected to accelerate emergency response and bring disaster management capabilities closer to affected areas.