Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Indonesian Navy confirmed the aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi will be deployed immediately to address forest and land fires upon its arrival, in accordance with President Prabowo Subianto’s directive.
“Garibaldi is scheduled to arrive in Indonesia and will serve as a carrier for helicopters and drones, capable of accommodating medium-sized helicopters capable of carrying 4 to 5 tons of water. We hope it can assist in quickly combating the wildfires,” First Admiral Tunggul, head of the Indonesian Navy Information Service, said on Tuesday.
He did not detail crew preparations or specific equipment to be transported for fire response, confirming only that the vessel will be deployed immediately after reaching Indonesian waters.
“Currently, the Garibaldi is in the Arabian Sea and is planned to arrive in Indonesia on September 17,” Tunggul said.
President Prabowo previously stated that the vessel will join the fleet and undergo modifications to support specialized helicopter and drone operations.
He announced the plan while leading a virtual limited meeting on disaster management in Jakarta on Monday.
“An Italian aircraft carrier will soon join our Navy. We will refurbish it, converting it into a carrier for helicopters and drones,” he said.
Prabowo noted the vessel can accommodate up to 10 medium-class helicopters.
He said aircraft such as the Black Hawk and Mi-17 could operate from the carrier, with each capable of carrying an average of 4 to 5 tons of water.
Combining the carrier platform with water-bombing helicopters will strengthen wildfire suppression efforts across high-density hotspots, Prabowo added.
“If we have 10 helicopters, we can quickly reach the areas with the most hotspots. This will greatly assist our response,” he remarked.
The president emphasized that the deployment forms part of broader disaster mitigation and preparedness strategies.
He stressed that facilities and resources must be prepared well in advance to ensure rapid deployment during emergencies.
“We are preparing for mitigation, not waiting for an incident. We must prepare well in advance,” Prabowo said.
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Translator: Walda Marison, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Arie Novarina
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