Indonesia plans Jakarta handover ceremony for first aircraft carrier

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3 hours ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s Defense Ministry confirmed that ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi, the country’s first aircraft carrier, is set to undergo a handover ceremony in Jakarta following its voyage from Italy.

“The handover procession will be marked by the signing of the grant document,” Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait, chief of the ministry’s Public Relations and Information Bureau, stated in Jakarta on Thursday.

He did not elaborate on the sequence of events planned for the ceremony, noting that the process would be carried out by the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL).

Sirait simply added that the aircraft carrier would proceed to its new base in Lampung following the Jakarta formalities.

Head of the TNI AL Information Service First Admiral Tunggul told ANTARA Tuesday (Aug. 25) that construction of the Lampung base is nearing completion.

“Regarding the readiness of the base infrastructure in Lampung, we have entered the finishing phase. The process is expected to be concluded by Garibaldi’s arrival in Indonesia,” he remarked.

Tunggul declined to disclose the facility’s detailed specifications but emphasized that it would be fully ready and operational by the end of next month.

A day earlier, Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Muhammad Ali confirmed that Indonesia expects to welcome its first aircraft carrier in September.

He made the statement in Jakarta the same day the through-deck aviation ship departed Italy for its new home in Lampung to begin a new commission under TNI AL as KRI Gajah Mada.

“Its name is still ITS Garibaldi for the time being, bearing the Italian ensign. However, the vessel will switch to Indonesia’s red-white flag and be renamed KRI Gajah Mada once it has arrived here,” Ali noted.

The admiral added that the former Italian Navy vessel would cruise for more than 20 days to reach Indonesia in the company of Italian warships.

“It will pass through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea, escorted by Italian frigates. We can expect the vessel to arrive in Indonesia between September 15 and 20,” he pointed out.

He further disclosed that Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is scheduled to attend the aircraft carrier’s inauguration on Sept. 25, which will be marked by the hoisting of the Indonesian flag.