Indonesia’s Ministry of National Development Planning (BAPPENAS) has approved a financing framework that paves the way for Jakarta to acquire the decommissioned Italian carrier ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi, alongside plans to procure associated new helicopters. The letter dated 29 August 2025 authorized the use of up to $450 million in foreign loan financing for the carrier purchase, together with separate ceilings for helicopter acquisitions (up to $250 million for transport rotorcraft and $300 million for utility helicopters). The financing window allows Indonesia to consider export credit agencies, bilateral lenders, or commercial loans as possible sources, giving officials flexibility in structuring a deal. While the documentation does not explicitly link the helicopter purchases to the carrier, project planning and industry presentations at Indodefence 2025 suggest Jakarta intends the rotorcraft to operate from the vessel once refitted for Indonesian use. Local defense industry actors showcased concepts for adapting Garibaldi to naval aviation and unmanned systems, including models with two superstructure islands and scale Bayraktar TB3 drones that Jakarta is exploring under separate industrial partnerships with Turkish firms. Indonesia has also signed agreements aimed at transferring production of navalized TB3s and larger Akinci UAVs to the domestic sector — moves that dovetail with the carrier plan and suggest a wider effort to develop organic shipborne aviation capacity. Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has engaged with Indonesian officials and presented options for refit work; a delegation visited Jakarta in July 2025 with technical teams outlining potential modification pathways. Although the full scope, cost, and timeline of any refit remain under discussion, the approved loan ceilings mark the Indonesian government’s formal step toward financing a carrier acquisition and accompanying aviation assets, aligning with broader ambitions to expand maritime power projection and develop local defense production capabilities.
