Indonesia prepares 400-strong crew for newly acquired aircraft carrier

At Tanjung Priok Port in North Jakarta, Navy Captain (P) Fuad Hasan confirmed that the Indonesian contingent for the ex-Italian carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi will total 400 members, with the first 100 already on board. An additional 300 sailors completed a phased training program at Fleet Command I, covering carrier theory and daily operations, and will join after the commissioning ceremony. The original group of 100 Indonesians sailed with roughly 300 Italian Navy personnel from Italy, receiving practical training during the voyage.

Prior to the transit, Fuad and his team underwent a month of preparation at Fleet Command II in Surabaya and a further month at the Italian base in Taranto. The ship remains under the Italian flag, commanded by Captain Marco Guerriero, and is slated to be handed over to Indonesia on September 24, when it will be rechristened KRI Sriwijaya and the flag will be changed.