Is Indonesia’s incoming Italian aircraft carrier a strategic upgrade or a potentially costly liability?

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s decision to operate its own aircraft carrier has divided analysts, with some arguing the move is strategically necessary and others warning it could become little more than an expensive symbol. Jakarta recently announced it would acquire the Giuseppe Garibaldi aircraft carrier in the form of a grant from the Italian government. The decommissioned vessel, which served the Italian Navy from 1985 until 2024, is expected to arrive ahead of the Indonesian National Armed Forces anniversary on Oct 5. The acquisition would make Indonesia the second country in Southeast Asia, after Thailand, to operate an aircraft carrier. Across Asia,…