Ex-Italian Aircraft Carrier to be Refurbished into Helicopter and Drone Carrier

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto expressed his gratitude for the deal over the former Italian Giuseppe Garibaldi aircraft carrier, which is en route to Indonesia. During a limited virtual meeting on Monday, 7 September 2026, Prabowo said the aircraft carrier would be transformed into a helicopter and drone carrier.

"Alhamdulillah (All thanks to Allah), the aircraft carrier from Italy will soon be commissioned into our navy," the president said from the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta.

"We will refurbish it and convert it into a carrier for helicopters and drones," he continued.

The Giuseppe Garibaldi aircraft carrier, named after the 19th-century general who played a key role in the unification of Italy, was granted by the Italian government to Indonesia this year and began sailing from Italy last August. The ship will later be renamed KRI Gajah Mada, after the military commander of the Hindu Majapahit Kingdom who lived in the 14th century and brought much of the Southeast Asian archipelago under the kingdom’s influence.

Prabowo said the carrier would accommodate up to 10 medium-sized helicopters. He expressed hope that its operations would help with wildfire response in the future.

“I think (the helicopters) would be similar to Black Hawks and Mi-17s, which on average can carry four to five tons of water. So, if we have 10 helicopters that can quickly reach the areas with the most fire hotspots, this would also greatly help our response,” he said.

Prabowo added that Indonesia also needs to increase the number of drones capable of water-bombing on fire zones. He specifically called for drones carrying large quantities of water.

“Quite large drones, capable of carrying and dropping 50 kilograms of water... (If we had 10 drones, perhaps) they would only be able to carry half a ton, but at the very least, if they were stationed at the front lines, they would be very helpful,” he said.