Indonesia’s US$1 Billion Drone Carrier Gamble: Ex-Italian Aircraft Carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi to Transform TNI-AL Into Indo-Pacific Blue-Water Power

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — Indonesia’s planned acquisition of Italy’s decommissioned aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi represents a structural inflection point in Southeast Asia’s naval balance, with Jakarta committing approximately US$450 million for transfer and refit arrangements that could expand to nearly US$1 billion when aviation assets and rotary-wing integration are fully accounted for under its modernization framework.

Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait, Head of the Indonesian Defence Ministry’s Public Relations and Information Bureau, underscored the fiscal and structural configuration of the arrangement, stating, “The Giuseppe Garibaldi is a grant from the Government of Italy. The budget prepared by the Indonesian government is allocated to retrofit needs or adjustments so that it meets the operational requirements of the TNI Angkatan Laut,” thereby clarifying that acquisition cost and modernization expenditure are institutionally separated.

Admiral Muhammad Ali, Chief of Staff of the TNI AL, framed the timeline dimension of the program with strategic optimism, declaring, “For Garibaldi, it is still in process. We hope it can arrive in Indonesia before the TNI anniversary [on October 5, 2026],” a statement that anchors the platform’s symbolic induction into Indonesia’s maritime narrative.

 

Fincantieri’s Director of Sales Naval Business Unit, Mauro Manzini, provided technical assurance on hull viability, asserting, “The Giuseppe Garibaldi is in good condition and has approximately 15 to 20 years of remaining operational life. The vessel can be transferred following a refit process tailored to the Indonesian Navy’s specific requirements,” thereby positioning the vessel as a financially rational transitional capability.

Haluk Bayraktar, Baykar CEO, expanded the industrial logic of the program beyond procurement metrics, stating, “This joint venture will not only fulfill Indonesia’s defense needs but also boost local industry capabilities,” situating the drone carrier initiative within Jakarta’s longer-term defense industrial autonomy trajectory.

Collectively, these official statements reveal a layered procurement strategy in which Indonesia leverages a legacy European capital ship to anchor an emerging unmanned maritime doctrine while containing capital expenditure relative to new-build carrier benchmarks that could exceed US$1.5–3 billion (RM7.05–14.1 billion).

Within the Indo-Pacific’s intensifying strategic environment—characterized by contested sea lanes, South China Sea maritime friction, and accelerating naval modernization cycles—Indonesia’s move introduces a drone-centric carrier model that diverges from traditional fixed-wing power projection paradigms.

The program simultaneously advances Indonesia’s Minimum Essential Force (MEF) objectives while signaling Jakarta’s intent to evolve from a predominantly archipelagic defense posture toward calibrated blue-water operational elasticity.

By blending cost containment, industrial participation, and unmanned aviation integration, the Giuseppe Garibaldi acquisition becomes less a legacy transfer and more a structural recalibration of Indonesia’s maritime doctrine in the Indo-Pacific security architecture.

Historical Legacy and Platform Viability: From Mediterranean Flagship to Indo-Pacific Drone Carrier

Laid down in March 1981 at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard, launched in June 1983, and commissioned on September 30, 1985, the Giuseppe Garibaldi (C 551) marked Italy’s return to through-deck carrier operations after World War II, embedding anti-submarine warfare (ASW) priorities within NATO’s Mediterranean maritime matrix.

With a length of 180.2 meters, a beam of 33.4 meters, and a full-load displacement between 13,850 and 14,150 tonnes, the vessel was dimensionally optimized for flexible aviation operations rather than heavy strike aviation dominance, aligning structurally with Indonesia’s intended hybrid helicopter–UAV mission set.

Powered by four GE/Avio LM2500 gas turbines generating 81,000 horsepower, the ship’s maximum speed exceeding 30 knots and operational range of 7,000 nautical miles at 20 knots provide credible operational reach across Indonesia’s 17,000-island expanse and adjacent Indo-Pacific sea lanes.

The 174-meter flight deck, originally configured with a four-degree ski-jump ramp to support AV-8B Harrier II operations alongside helicopters, offers inherent architectural flexibility for short takeoff unmanned systems once reinforced and recalibrated under the refit program.

Defensive systems including twin Mk 29 launchers for Sea Sparrow/Aspide surface-to-air missiles, three Oto Melara 40mm DARDO CIWS mounts, triple 324mm torpedo tubes, and provisions for Otomat/Teseo anti-ship missiles provide a baseline multi-layer defensive architecture adaptable to Indonesian operational integration.

Operational deployments during NATO’s Kosovo campaign (1999), Operation Enduring Freedom (2001–2002), and the 2011 Libya intervention demonstrate combat-tested survivability and command-and-control resilience within coalition maritime environments.

The vessel’s humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) record, including participation in the 2010 Haiti earthquake response, aligns structurally with Indonesia’s recurring disaster response demands across tsunami-prone and earthquake-vulnerable regions.

By acquiring a proven hull with an estimated 15–20 years of residual operational viability, Indonesia circumvents the protracted lead times and capital intensity associated with indigenous carrier construction while accelerating doctrinal experimentation.

This legacy-to-future transition reframes the platform not as an aging relic but as a bridge architecture enabling Jakarta to prototype drone carrier doctrine without committing to irreversible capital-intensive carrier strike group formation.

Consequently, platform viability is less a function of chronological age and more a calculation of structural adaptability, lifecycle economics, and mission realignment within Indonesia’s maritime defense calculus.

The Refit Architecture: Engineering a Hybrid Helicopter–Drone Carrier

Central to the acquisition’s strategic credibility is the Fincantieri-led refit program, which transforms the Giuseppe Garibaldi from a ski-jump light carrier into a hybrid helicopter and drone carrier optimized for maritime domain awareness (MDA), ASW support, and persistent ISR.

Flight deck enhancements are expected to include structural reinforcement for UAV launch cycles, recalibrated deck markings for short takeoff and landing profiles, and the integration of UAV-specific elevator systems to streamline deck-to-hangar operational tempo.

The redesign of the bridge and command architecture aims to embed Indonesian communication networks alongside advanced command-and-control suites, enabling the vessel to function as a floating operational headquarters during both combat and non-combat contingencies.

Hangar spaces, aviation fuel systems, and munitions handling compartments will be reconfigured to support a mixed rotary-wing and unmanned air wing, prioritizing endurance surveillance missions over high-tempo jet strike operations.

Retention and modernization of surface-to-air missiles, CIWS, and torpedo systems maintain layered defensive integrity, ensuring that the carrier retains credible survivability in contested maritime environments.

This refit configuration is explicitly structured to avoid the logistical complexity and recurring cost burden of fixed-wing naval aviation, while preserving the ship’s ability to project sensor reach across Indonesia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

The engineering proposal reflects Fincantieri’s accumulated experience in Italian naval modernization and recent Indonesian naval collaborations, embedding continuity within Jakarta’s expanding defense-industrial relationships.

By privileging unmanned endurance over manned strike mass, Indonesia effectively adopts a cost-asymmetric maritime posture that leverages drones as force multipliers rather than substitutes for traditional carrier air wings.

The refit’s fiscal logic remains comparatively restrained, particularly when benchmarked against new carrier construction thresholds exceeding US$1.5–3 billion (RM7.05–14.1 billion), reinforcing the acquisition’s value proposition.

However, the technical complexity of integrating foreign legacy systems with Indonesian C2 frameworks introduces integration risk, underscoring the necessity of phased modernization and iterative doctrinal refinement.

Bayraktar TB3 Integration: Operationalizing Southeast Asia’s First Drone Carrier

A cornerstone of Indonesia’s maritime transformation is the integration of the Turkish Baykar Bayraktar TB3 unmanned combat aerial vehicle, a short takeoff-capable platform engineered for carrier and amphibious assault ship operations.

Indonesia’s agreement for 60 Bayraktar TB3 airframes and nine Bayraktar Akinci UCAVs—formalized in February 2025—positions Jakarta as the first export customer for the TB3, embedding unmanned aviation at the heart of its future naval doctrine.

While some reports speculated on system-based configurations, mainstream confirmations of 60 discrete TB3 airframes clarify scale and reinforce procurement transparency within Indonesia’s evolving unmanned fleet architecture.

The TB3’s folding wing design, optimized maximum takeoff weight for deck operations, and endurance profile enable persistent maritime patrols over critical chokepoints such as the Malacca Strait, reinforcing surveillance density.

Tested extensively aboard Turkey’s TCG Anadolu, where it reportedly completed more than 100 sorties including armed missions, the TB3 introduces operational maturity rather than conceptual experimentation into Indonesia’s naval aviation calculus.

Haluk Bayraktar’s assertion that the joint venture will “boost local industry capabilities” embeds industrial co-production within the program, linking maritime modernization to domestic technological capacity expansion.

Indonesia’s prior procurement of 12 Bayraktar TB2 drones—valued at an estimated US$100–150 million (RM470–705 million)—provides doctrinal continuity, transitioning from land-based ISR operations toward navalized unmanned applications.

Air Chief Marshal Mohammad Tonny Harjono’s earlier statement that “This acquisition will significantly enhance Indonesia’s military power in the era of high-tech weaponry” captures the doctrinal pivot toward unmanned force multiplication.

Financially, the broader UAV ecosystem—potentially exceeding US$1 billion (RM4.71 billion) when industrial participation and support structures are included—remains strategically proportional relative to the transformative surveillance footprint it enables.

Through TB3 integration, Indonesia operationalizes Southeast Asia’s first dedicated drone carrier model, altering the regional maritime equilibrium without replicating the capital intensity of conventional carrier strike group architectures.

Strategic Implications and Operational Realities: Blue-Water Ambition with Managed Escalation

The induction of a hybrid helicopter–drone carrier elevates Indonesia into the cohort of Indo-Pacific navies operating aviation-capable capital ships, alongside China, India, Japan, and Thailand, recalibrating Southeast Asia’s naval hierarchy.

Within Indonesia’s “Global Maritime Fulcrum” doctrine, the platform strengthens sea lane security, enhances EEZ monitoring, and reinforces deterrence posture without overtly signaling aggressive carrier strike group formation.

The vessel’s anticipated annual operating costs—estimated at US$50–80 million (RM235–376 million)—represent a recurring fiscal commitment that necessitates sustained training, maintenance discipline, and doctrinal maturation.

Analysts have cautioned that “The cost of the conversion could be close to that of building a completely new carrier – with an uncertain outcome,” highlighting fiscal skepticism that must be balanced against lifecycle savings relative to new construction.

Logistical complexities include integration of Italian, Turkish, and Indonesian systems; crew proficiency in deck operations; and development of drone swarm tactics adaptable to maritime contingencies.

Geopolitically, the platform may be perceived by regional actors as incremental militarization, particularly in proximity to contested South China Sea corridors, thereby requiring calibrated diplomatic signaling.

Conversely, Indonesia’s stated emphasis on “Non-Warfare Military Operations” such as patrol and humanitarian missions underscores a narrative of defensive modernization rather than offensive expansion.

The carrier’s HADR pedigree and helicopter lift capability enhance Indonesia’s regional disaster response leadership within ASEAN, reinforcing soft-power dividends alongside military utility.

Strategically, the platform embodies a hybrid model: retaining credible defensive armament while foregrounding surveillance, ISR, and command functions within Indonesia’s maritime operational spectrum.

Ultimately, the transformation of Giuseppe Garibaldi into a drone-centric carrier encapsulates Indonesia’s strategic maturation—balancing ambition and fiscal prudence, integrating unmanned innovation with legacy naval architecture, and recalibrating Indo-Pacific naval dynamics through incremental yet structurally consequential capability expansion. — DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA