In the context of the recent Indodefence exhibition held in Jakarta from the 11th to the 14th of this month, the Indonesian Navy gave further momentum to growing speculation about its interest in acquiring an aircraft carrier for its fleet. Specifically, the service is currently evaluating the purchase of the former flagship of the Italian Navy, the ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi (C-551), which was officially decommissioned earlier in 2024, shortly after the induction of the amphibious assault ship ITS Trieste (L9890).
The news was reported by defense outlets attending the event, which also featured the presence of the Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri. Mauro Manzini, Sales Director of the company’s Naval Business Unit, stated: “The Giuseppe Garibaldi is in good condition and has approximately 15 to 20 years of service life remaining. The ship can be transferred following a refitting process tailored to the specific needs of the Indonesian Navy.” He added that, for now, this remains a government-to-government discussion, with no formal decision yet made to proceed with the acquisition.
His remarks align with the presentation made by the local company Republikorp, which displayed at its booth a conceptual model of an aircraft carrier also named Giuseppe Garibaldi—a clear reference to the vessel Indonesia is reportedly interested in acquiring. However, it is worth noting that the model exhibits a design radically different from the actual Italian carrier, most notably featuring two islands instead of the single-island configuration of the original vessel.
Additionally, the conceptual model stood out for its flight deck configuration, which included scale models of Bayraktar TB3 drones, produced by the Turkish company Baykar Technologies. During the same event, representatives from Baykar hinted that Indonesia was interested in acquiring these short takeoff-capable unmanned aerial systems, going as far as to claim that a preliminary agreement had been reached for around 60 units—intended for both naval and land-based deployment.
This is no small development, considering that the Turkish Navy is already testing the Bayraktar TB3 aboard its TCG Anadolu vessel, with the most recent trials taking place during the Seawolf-II/2025 naval exercise. In those tests, the drones demonstrated smooth integration with the ship and showcased their ability to strike land-based targets using MAM-L type munitions.
*Images used for illustrative purposes only.
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