KRI Gajah Mada
Future Indonesian helicopter carrier
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
KRI Gajah Mada is a future aircraft carrier of the Indonesian Navy.[3] Originally built as Giuseppe Garibaldi and commissioned in 1985, the ship served in the Italian Navy for 39 years before being retired in 2024. The ship was acquired by Indonesia in 2026 and is planned to receive a modernization upgrade.[4]
Former Giuseppe Garibaldi in 2024 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Italy | |
| Name | Giuseppe Garibaldi |
| Namesake | Giuseppe Garibaldi |
| Builder | Fincantieri, Monafalcone Shipyard, Monfalcone (Gorizia) |
| Laid down | 26 March 1981[1] |
| Launched | 11 June 1983 |
| Commissioned | 30 September 1985 |
| Decommissioned | 1 October 2024 |
| Home port | Taranto |
| Identification | Pennant number: 551 |
| Motto | Obbedisco ("I Obey") |
| Fate | Transferred to the Indonesian Navy |
 Indonesia | |
| Name | KRI Gajah Mada |
| Namesake | Gajah Mada |
| Acquired | 20 July 2026 |
| Home port | Ratai Bay, Lampung |
| Status | To be commissioned |
| General characteristics as Giuseppe Garibaldi | |
| Type | Aircraft carrier |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 180.2 m (591 ft) |
| Beam | 33.4 m (110 ft) |
| Draught | 8.2 m (27 ft) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph)+ |
| Range | 7,000 nmi (13,000 km; 8,100 mi) at 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
| Complement |
|
| Sensors & processing systems |
|
| Electronic warfare & decoys |
|
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | up to 18 aircraft |
| Notes | flight deck is 174.0 m (570.9 ft) long and 30.0 m (98.4 ft) wide |
History
Acquisition
It was reported in March 2025 that the Indonesian Navy was interested in acquiring the former Giuseppe Garibaldi from Italy, along with her air wing of Harrier II jets.[5][6] Fincantieri presented a proposal to the Indonesian Navy in July 2025 to convert the ship into a helicopter and UAV assault ship.[7] In September 2025, the Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Navy Admiral Muhammad Ali stated that the acquisition of Giuseppe Garibaldi is still being discussed with the Italian side.[8] In late August 2025, the Indonesian government approved loan plans of up to US$450 million to acquire the ship and its supporting equipment. The government also approved US$250 million loan for transport helicopters and US$300 million loan for utility helicopters procurements, which likely will operate from the aircraft carrier.[9]
As of 17 February 2026, negotiations remained ongoing between the Indonesia and Italy navies and Fincantieri, with the ship set to be transferred as a grant.[10] On 10 March, a Senate Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee (Commissione Affari esteri e difesa del Senato) vote for the transfer of Giuseppe Garibaldi was delayed by the opposition Five Star Movement (M5S) and Democratic Party (PD).[11] M5S members also asked if the ship could be sold rather than gifted for free to the Indonesian Navy.[12] On 24 March, speaking in front of the committee, Admiral Giacinto Ottaviani said that maintenance and scrapping costs made the transfer of the ship for free the "most convenient solution" (soluzione più conveniente).[13] The draft decree for a vote was approved by the Committee the same day,[14] and forwarded to the Committees of the Chamber (Commissioni competenti della Camera).[11]
Representatives of M5S, PD and Italia Viva (IV) indicated that their parties would vote to oppose the transfer, while Brothers of Italy (FdI) and Lega (LSP) representatives expressed a favourable opinion.[14] On 28 April 2026, the transfer was approved.[15]
Indonesian Naval Aviation has begun training for carrier flight operations in May 2026 using a mock outline of flight deck at the Juanda Naval Air Station in Surabaya.[16] Later in August 2026, helicopter pilots of the Indonesian Army and the Air Force also started practicing shipboard operation. The Indonesian military envisioned that all three branches of the Armed Forces to be able to operate from the carrier.[17] Indonesian Navy chief stated in June 2026 that several names are proposed for the aircraft carrier, among them are Gajah Mada and Panglima Sudirman. The Indonesian Navy also sent advance party of 100 personnel on 10 July 2026 to receive training and operate the vessel.[18] The ship will be delivered with a mix of Indonesian and Italian crew, with the aircraft carrier slated to be handed over once it arrived in Indonesia.[19] In June 2026, Indonesian Navy announced that Lampung Naval Base in Pesawaran Regency, Lampung will be the homeport of the ship.[20]
On 20 July, at a meeting of the First Commission of the House of Representatives of Indonesia, Air Vice Marshal Haris Haryanto, the director general of defense power of the Ministry of Defense, confirmed that the former Giuseppe Garibaldi is expected to arrive in Indonesia on 20 September 2026.[21] The Indonesian House of Representatives also approved the transfer of the aircraft carrier in an open parliamentary forum. The decision was made after the Ministry of Defense requested approval for transfer of the ship to Indonesia at a cost of €54 million. The forum explained that the construction of the Ratai Bay Naval Base in Lampung had reached 76% and is expected to be completed before the ship's arrival and its inauguration at the Indonesian National Armed Forces Anniversary on 5 October 2026.[22][23]
The former Giuseppe Garibaldi departed Taranto for Indonesia on the evening of 24 August 2026. The Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Navy Admiral Muhammad Ali stated that the ship will be renamed as KRI Gajah Mada once it arrived in Indonesia.[3] The ship is planned to arrive in Indonesia on 15–20 September and to be commissioned on 25 September. The ship would pass through Suez Canal and the Red Sea and is planned to make port calls in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Colombo, Sri Lanka.[24] The vessel is also escorted by several Italian frigates during the journey.[25]