Turning an Italian Warship Into a Drone Hub: How Prabowo’s Carrier Gambit Reshapes Indo-Pacific Defense

JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — The Indonesian government is moving to transform its newly acquired Italian aircraft carrier, the former ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi, into the nation’s first sovereign carrier dedicated to launching heavy-lift helicopters and armed unmanned combat aerial vehicles.

The 180.2-meter (591.2-foot) warship, scheduled to arrive in domestic waters by mid-September under the name KRI Gajah Mada, represents a major naval doctrine transition under President Prabowo Subianto.

Jakarta’s decision to adopt a flat-deck carrier shifts the archipelagic power from a purely littoral coast-guard defense force into an expeditionary blue-water maritime operator. Beyond dual-use missions like rapid natural disaster response and offshore logistics, basing long-range combat drones and anti-submarine helicopters along key transit choke points tests the regional maritime balance across the eastern Indian Ocean.

A Flat-Deck Base for Drones and Rotors

Speaking during a cabinet-level natural disaster coordination meeting in Jakarta on Monday, Sept. 7, 2026, President Prabowo highlighted the carrier's tactical adaptability, noting it will serve as an offshore staging facility capable of deploying roughly 10 medium transport and utility helicopters.

"Very soon, the aircraft carrier from Italy will enter our naval ranks; we will modify it to become an aircraft carrier for helicopters and for drones," Prabowo said, citing airframes such as the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and Mil Mi-17. "These helicopters can carry an average of 4 to 5 metric tons (4.4 to 5.5 short tons) of water each. Having 10 helicopters that can rapidly converge on active fire zones will substantially bolster our aerial response."

Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Ali confirmed that the ship departed Italian ports in late August, with defense officials aiming for an immediate handover upon arrival.

"We ask for your prayers as KRI Gajah Mada departs Italy bound for Indonesia," Admiral Ali said during a visit to the Majapahit Palace cultural center in East Jakarta, as reported by local media. "The ship still carries the name ITS Garibaldi and flies the Italian flag, but upon arriving in Indonesia, it will switch flags to become KRI Gajah Mada."

Originally commissioned as Italy’s first through-deck aviation cruiser, the 13,800-metric-ton (15,212-short-ton) vessel logged operational deployments in Somalia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Libya. Powered by gas turbine propulsion capable of hitting speeds up to 30 knots (34.5 mph), the platform accommodates an operational contingent of 600 shipboard crew, 230 air wing personnel, and 100 command staff, with reserve berths for 600 amphibious troops.

Domestic Fiscal Pushback and Defense Assurances

The sovereign gift from Rome has ignited fierce legislative debate in Jakarta surrounding long-term operational and refit commitments.

Independent defense analysts estimate routine operations and maintenance (O&M) costs will demand Rp 1 trillion to Rp 1.3 trillion ($62.89 million to $81.76 million) annually, alongside standard daily bunker fuel burn of Rp 1.2 billion to Rp 1.8 billion ($75,471 to $113,207). Parliamentary representatives on Commission I of the House of Representatives—the legislative committee overseeing defense and foreign affairs—warned that active sea trials could push operational overhead to Rp 101 billion ($6.35 million) per month, while comprehensive vessel retrofits could range between Rp 7.2 trillion and Rp 16.8 trillion ($452.83 million and $1.06 billion).

The Ministry of Defense swiftly defended the acquisition, emphasizing that the carrier’s life-cycle expenditure is accounted for within state procurement planning.

"Estimates for operational costs, maintenance, and retrofits depend entirely on mission profiles, operational patterns, and modernizing milestones," said Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait, head of public defense information at the defense ministry, on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026. "The introduction of KRI Gajah Mada does not cannibalize other naval budget allocations, as the capital strategy was calculated to secure sustainable, optimal operations."

Current naval modernization roadmaps propose equipping the carrier deck with Turkish-built Bayraktar TB3 folding-wing unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) and Eurocopter AS-565 Panther anti-submarine warfare helicopters, granting maritime commanders unprecedented surveillance and strike reach across surrounding waters.

Strategic Ripples Across the Indian Ocean

Naval planners intend to base the carrier at Ratai Bay in Lampung, southern Sumatra—a strategic base overlooking the Sunda Strait gateway into the Indian Ocean.

The basing choice has drawn close attention from New Delhi. Indian defense publication IDRW observed that stationed in Ratai Bay, the carrier will operate roughly 850 nautical miles (978 miles) from Great Nicobar Island, part of India's Andaman and Nicobar command. This permanent deployment makes it the first sovereign carrier strike group operating continuously in such close proximity to Indian territory.

While Jakarta and New Delhi maintain a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and continue bilateral defense cooperation—including talks over supersonic BrahMos and Astra missile procurements—analysts note that operating an armed drone carrier in the eastern Indian Ocean complicates long-term maritime surveillance.

The presence of carrier-launched tactical drones along busy international transit routes will inevitably demand enhanced radar vigilance and surveillance patrols from regional partners navigating shared waters.