Indonesia has taken delivery of its first aircraft carrier, a retired Italian warship formerly known as the ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi, which docked at a naval base in Tanjung Priok port, North Jakarta, on Friday. The vessel — a 41-year-old ship gifted by Italy to strengthen bilateral defence ties and avoid decommissioning costs — will be formally commissioned next week as the KRI Gajah Mada, making Indonesia only the second south-east Asian nation after Thailand to operate a carrier. The acquisition has drawn sharp criticism from analysts and lawmakers who question whether the country, facing fiscal pressures and competing spending demands, can justify the estimated $450m–$900m cost of refurbishing and operating the ageing warship, with some experts arguing the funds would be better spent on submarines and frigates more suited to Indonesia's maritime defence needs.