Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto unveiled the government’s plan to use and modify ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi, Indonesia’s first carrier en route from Italy, to optimise helicopter and drone operations in support for disaster mitigation.
Prabowo introduced the initiative while chairing a limited meeting on the ongoing response to natural disasters through a video conference at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Monday.
“An aircraft carrier from Italy will soon be commissioned under our Indonesian Navy. We will refurbish the vessel, transforming it into a carrier of helicopters and drones,” the president remarked in a speech livestreamed by the Presidential Secretariat.
Prabowo noted the vessel, which will be renamed KRI Gajah Mada, is projected to carry up to 10 medium-class helicopters upon customisation.
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He elaborated the government envisions the aviation ship serving as a mobile landing and launching site for helicopters such as the Black Hawk and MI-17, which are capable of carrying four to five metric tons of water.
The president further said the helicopters would be deployed from the vessel to strengthen the government’s capacity to suppress wildfires.
“If we have 10 helicopters, we will be able to immediately reach the areas most saturated by wildfires. This endeavor will substantially strengthen our response,” Prabowo affirmed.
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He also underlined the initiative as part of strategic efforts to enhance national preparedness in the face of disaster risks.
“We should not wait for a disaster to occur. It is crucial that we take preparatory steps well in advance,” Prabowo noted.
The remarks came as Indonesia mobilises numerous institutions to battle widespread forest and land fires, with major cases reported in regions across Sumatra and Kalimantan islands.
Moreover, authorities have taken measures in response to a series of volcanic eruptions in several regions, as East Nusa Tenggara communities are still recovering from the deadly earthquake that occurred in August.
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Translator: M. Cicilia, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Fransiska Ninditya
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