Italy sells warships to Indonesia and hands over an old carrier

Indonesia is buying more of its military hardware from a country most people do not link with Asian defense: Italy. The Diplomat reports that Rome has quietly become a growing arms supplier to Indonesia, using its shipbuilders and defense firms like Fincantieri and Leonardo rather than any military presence in the region.

The clearest sign is a used aircraft carrier. Italy's parliament has approved handing its retired carrier, the Giuseppe Garibaldi, to Indonesia's navy, with the transfer expected by the end of 2026. Italy took the ship out of service in 2024. On top of that, Indonesia has ordered new warships from Fincantieri in a deal worth more than US$1 billion, adding to an earlier agreement for frigates, which are mid-sized warships used to patrol and escort other vessels.

The story matters for what it says about how Indonesia buys weapons under President Prabowo Subianto. He has pushed a large military build-up, with about 337 trillion rupiah (US$19.4 billion) set aside for defense in 2026, and he is spreading the orders across many countries: India for missiles, Japan and Australia for other deals, and now Italy, while also talking to China about fighter jets and ships. The aim is to avoid leaning on any single power, from Washington to Beijing.

Not everyone at home likes the carrier. Critics say a big aircraft carrier is a poor fit for Indonesia, a country of thousands of islands that mainly needs smaller ships to guard its waters, and that a secondhand carrier costs a lot to run for little real gain. Supporters say it shows ambition and gives the navy a large platform for many jobs at sea.

Why it matters

If you pay taxes in Indonesia, this is your money: billions of rupiah going into ships and jets while the budget is tight and the rupiah is weak. Watch whether the Garibaldi actually arrives and what it costs to keep at sea, because a cheap price on an old carrier can turn into a heavy long-term bill.