Story perspectives

Indonesia Receives $450M Carrier for Helicopters, Drones

By Drooid · Sep 18, 2026, 2:31 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Indonesia received the former Italian carrier ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi at Jakarta’s Tanjung Priok port on 18 September 2026.
President Prabowo Subianto said the ship will serve as a platform for helicopters and drones in flood and forest-fire emergencies.
Opposition lawmakers and analysts warn the $450 million financing and $900 million retrofit could strain Indonesia’s budget and disaster-relief priorities.
Strategic analysts caution the carrier may face limits like Thailand’s, where budget constraints left it docked for service.

History

Historical Context

After the Soviet-built cruiser Baku was decommissioned in 1996, Russia agreed on 20 January 2004 to sell the vessel, renamed Admiral Gorshkov, to India. Sevmash’s extensive refit, which installed a ski-jump and removed Soviet missiles to create a STOBAR platform, raised the price to about $2.3 billion, and the carrier entered Indian service as INS Vikramaditya on 16 November 2013, becoming the navy’s flagship and a sign of India’s blue-water ambition.

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Story summary

Indonesia received the former Italian carrier ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi at Jakarta’s Tanjung Priok port on 18 September 2026.
President Prabowo Subianto said the ship will serve as a platform for helicopters and drones in flood and forest-fire emergencies.
Opposition lawmakers and analysts warn the $450 million financing and $900 million retrofit could strain Indonesia’s budget and disaster-relief priorities.
Strategic analysts caution the carrier may face limits like Thailand’s, where budget constraints left it docked for service.

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