‘No invasive intent’: Indonesia’s first aircraft carrier not for combat but for disaster relief, says defence ministry
CNA
The acquisition of the Italian-made Giuseppe Garibaldi makes Indonesia the second Southeast Asian country after Thailand to operate an aircraft carrier.
JAKARTA: Indonesia’s plan to acquire its first aircraft carrier is not for offensive purposes or to invade any territory, but to support non-combat military operations, according to its defence ministry.
“There is no intention on the part of our nation, the Indonesian nation, to be aggressive by owning an aircraft carrier like this ... so there is no invasive intent,” said head of the defence ministry’s information bureau, Rico Ricardo Sirat on Wednesday (Feb 25), as quoted by local news outlet Kompas.
He added that the Italian-made aircraft carrier, Giuseppe Garibaldi, will be used in military operations outside of war, particularly in disaster relief.
The 180m-long carrier, which local news platform Antara reported is equipped with radar jammers and weapons such as anti-aircraft missiles, has a top speed of 30 knots and can travel up to 7,000 nautical miles.
The acquisition makes Indonesia the second Southeast Asian country after Thailand to operate an aircraft carrier. Across Asia, only China, India and Japan currently field their own carriers.
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