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Indonesia reflags a former Italian warship as its first aircraft carrier
The KRI Sriwijaya-100 will serve as a mobile command hub for helicopters and drones and help Indonesia respond to fires and disasters, officials said.
On Thursday, the Indonesian Navy commissioned its first aircraft carrier, the KRI Sriwijaya-100, at Tanjung Priok seaport in Jakarta, strengthening maritime defenses after acquiring the former Italian vessel.
The vessel, formerly the Giuseppe Garibaldi, arrived in Jakarta last week after a 25-day journey through the Suez Canal, Red Sea, and Indian Ocean following Italy's decision to gift the ship.
Replacing the Italian flag with the Indonesian flag, the ship possesses capacity for short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft, Navy spokesperson Tunggul said in a statement.
Indonesia becomes the second Southeast Asian nation to operate an aircraft carrier, joining Thailand, which commissioned the HTMS Chakri Naruebet in 1997 after procuring it from Spain.
President Prabowo Subianto stated the vessel will function as a mobile command hub for helicopters and drones, specifically aiding maritime defense and efforts to combat regional forest and peatland fires.
Indonesia takes an important step in the modernization of its Navy with the incorporation of its first aircraft carrier. The former Italian ship begins a new stage under Indonesian flag, although it will still have to adapt part of its systems before fully assuming its functions