Indonesia’s First Aircraft Carrier KRI Sriwijaya Docks at Jakarta

Indonesia's first aircraft carrier docked at Tanjung Priok port in North Jakarta on Friday, September 18.

The carrier pulled into Pier 107 at around 8 a.m. The Defense Minister and the TNI Commander were at the pier. Designated KRI Sriwijaya, the carrier was the Italian Navy's ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi for four decades before Italy gifted it to Indonesia. The acquisition is part of a broader defense modernization by President Prabowo, which has included fighter jet purchases and new security partnerships.

At 180 meters long, it can hold up to 18 helicopters. Largest warship in the Indonesian fleet. The navy trained 310 crew ahead of arrival, including sailors from the Women's Navy Corps, and has assembled a full crew of 400 for operations once the official handover takes place on September 24, when Navy Captain Fuad Hasan formally assumes command.

The carrier stopped in Sri Lanka before crossing into Indonesian territorial waters two days earlier, escorted by Indonesian frigates KRI Brawijaya-320 and KRI Prabu Siliwangi-321 and two Italian Navy ships on the final leg.

Forest fires come first. The navy said the carrier's initial task is deploying helicopters and equipment to fight the fires currently burning across several Indonesian regions. Navy Chief Muhammad Ali said the carrier could also be used for combat operations if the situation required.

MarineRadar tracked a rise in searches for the carrier in the 48 hours before the Jakarta docking. Interest in Tanjung Priok ran at four times its typical weekly level. The Colombo stop in early September was the first event to generate tracking traffic, well before the carrier reached Indonesian waters.