Fincantieri and Surabaya-based PT PAL Indonesia have signed an MoU to cooperate on the future modernization of KRI Sriwijaya, the Indonesian Navy’s first aircraft carrier. The ship previously operated as Italy’s ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi and was transferred to Indonesia earlier this month through an Italian government grant. Fincantieri, which originally designed and built the carrier, will provide platform-specific technical knowledge, while PT PAL will contribute its shipbuilding, integration, maintenance and support expertise. Both companies will determine the ship’s modernization requirements and are expected to bring other companies and institutions from Italy and Indonesia into the effort. The agreement is also intended to expand Indonesian industrial capabilities and support the country’s maritime and defence ecosystem. The cooperation follows Fincantieri’s March delivery of KRI Prabu Siliwangi (321), Indonesia’s second Brawijaya-class offshore patrol vessel. Giuseppe Garibaldi was completed at Monfalcone and entered Italian Navy service in 1985 before leaving service in 2024. The 180-meter (591-foot), 13,850-ton vessel has a maximum speed of 30 knots (55.5 kilometers/34.5 miles per hour) and operates as a STOVL carrier. Its aviation facilities can accommodate approximately 10 medium helicopters, which can carry four to five tonnes of water for potential disaster-relief operations. Indonesia has allocated about $450 million for the programme, although modernization and retrofit costs could reportedly reach $900 million.
