Antara News·Indonesia·Friday, September 18, 2026 at 08:15 AM

Garibaldi aircraft carrier ready for forest fire response: Navy Chief

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Walda Marison, Resinta Sulistiyandari

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Muhammad Ali confirmed that the Giuseppe Garibaldi aircraft carrier, which recently arrived in Jakarta, is ready to help tackle forest and land fires as ordered by President Prabowo Subianto.

"We can use it for these purposes. Forest and land fires are included in Military Operations Other Than War (MOOTW)," Ali said during a press conference after inspecting the vessel docked at Pier 107, Tanjung Priok Port, Jakarta, on Friday.

However, he noted that the vessel cannot be immediately deployed to Kalimantan in the near future because it must undergo an official handover process from Italy to Indonesia on Sept. 24, 2026.

The aircraft carrier must also undergo retrofitting to adapt the ship's technology to Navy operational doctrine, he added.

"We adjust the interests of our Navy in Indonesia to the situation in tropical seas, determining what needs to be added and what is unnecessary," Ali highlighted.

During a disaster management limited meeting in Jakarta on Sept. 7, President Prabowo Subianto stated that the Giuseppe Garibaldi will be modified to support helicopter and drone operations.

"Soon an aircraft carrier from Italy will enter our Navy's ranks. We will refurbish it, we will change it to become a helicopter carrier and for drones," the president noted.

Prabowo explained that the ship will accommodate around 10 medium-class helicopters capable of transporting water for firefighting missions.

"So, if we have 10 helicopters, they can quickly reach the areas with the most fire hotspots. This will also greatly support our response," Prabowo said.

The head of state emphasized that utilizing naval vessels and aircraft forms part of government efforts to strengthen disaster mitigation and preparedness.

"We are preparing to handle mitigation, do not wait for an incident. We have to prepare long beforehand," he stressed.

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