Indonesia Got A Free Aircraft Carrier; Fixes Will Cost Millions

By Chandra Asmara

Sep 17, 2026 (Bloomberg) –A retired Italian aircraft carrier built to launch Harrier fighter jets arrived at Indonesia’s busiest port Friday with plans for a very different second act: fighting forest fires.

The 180-meter-long Giuseppe Garibaldi, which Italy is handing to Indonesia for free after about four decades in service, is set to become the nation’s first aircraft carrier and only the second such vessel in service with a Southeast Asian navy. With modifications planned to turn it into a floating base for helicopters and drones, it represents both a striking symbol of President Prabowo Subianto’s military modernization drive