Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian aircraft carrier, the first through-deck aviation ship ever built for the Italian Navy, and the first Italian ship built to operate fixed-wing aircraft. Although she was widely recognised as a carrier first and foremost, she was officially designated as an aircraft-carrying cruiser.

The ship was equipped with short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft and helicopters. Giuseppe Garibaldi was involved in combat air operations off Somalia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Libya.

Design

thumb|left|Giuseppe Garibaldis deck layout

thumb|left|[[SH-3 Sea King on deck]]

The ship was powered by four Fiat COGAG gas turbines built under license from GE, offering a sustained power of 81,000 hp (60 MW). Driving two shafts the ship had a maximum speed of and could travel for at around .

The ship was equipped with four Otomat Mk2 short range surface-to-surface missile system installed at the stern of the vessel (removed in 2003 to improve the flight deck and satellite communications) and two ILAS three triple tube torpedo launchers. Defences was provided by two eight-cell SAM launchers firing the SARH Aspide missile, and three Oto Melara Twin 40L70 DARDO CIWS.

The ship also had several countermeasures, including two SCLAR twenty-barrel launchers for chaff, decoy, flares, or jammers, the SLQ-25 Nixie and SLAT anti-torpedo systems and ECM systems.

The air arm consisted of a maximum of sixteen AV-8B Harrier IIs and two search and rescue helicopters, or eighteen Agusta helicopters or a mix of helicopters and fighters. The flight deck had the characteristic off-axis design with a 6.5-degree ski-jump for STOL aircraft; it was long and wide.

A 1937 law gave control of all national fixed-wing air assets to the Italian Air Force, and the navy was only permitted to operate helicopters. At the time of the ship's commissioning of Garibaldi, the Italian Naval Aviation did not receive her Harriers, so it was reclassified as an Incrociatore portaeromobili (Italian for Aircraft carrying cruiser). Until 1988 only Italian helicopters landed on her deck, as well as Royal Navy Sea Harriers during NATO joint maneuvers. The ban on fixed-wing aircraft was lifted in 1989, and the Italian Navy acquired Harrier II fighters to fly from the Giuseppe Garibaldi.

The ship underwent a modernization in 2003 and a major restructuring in 2013.

Construction

The Giuseppe Garibaldi was the fourth ship of the Italian Navy to be named after the 19th-century Italian General Giuseppe Garibaldi. All four ships, including the missile cruiser, together with an image of Garibaldi, were depicted in the crest.

Built by Fincantieri (Italcantieri) at the Monfalcone shipyards on the Gulf of Trieste, it was laid down on 26 March 1981, As of 24 March, the Italian Navy was engaged in Operation Unified Protector with the light aircraft carrier Garibaldi, the Maestrale-class frigate and the auxiliary ship . Additionally the and Maestrale-class frigate were patrolling off the Sicilian coast in an air-defence role. In total, until the end of the mission in Libya, the eight Italian Navy AV-8Bs flying from the carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi dropped 160 guided bombs during 1221 flight hours.<!---this ref should probably be deleted-->

The ship was retired in 2024 and replaced by the LHD .

Indonesian sale

In March 2025, it was stated that the Indonesian Navy was interested in acquiring the ship from Italy, along with her airwing of Harrier II jets. Fincantieri presented a proposal to the Indonesian Navy in July 2025 to convert Giuseppe Garibaldi into a helicopter and UAV assault ship. In September 2025, the Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Navy Admiral Muhammad Ali stated that the acquisition of Giuseppe Garibaldi is still being discussed with the Italian side. In late August 2025, the Indonesian government approved loan plans of up to US$450 million to acquire the ship and its supporting equipment. The government also approved US$250 million loan for transport helicopters and US$300 million loan for utility helicopters procurements, which likely will operate from the aircraft carrier.

As of 17 February 2026, negotiations remained ongoing between the Indonesia and Italy navies and Fincantieri, with the ship set to be transferred as a grant. Indonesia was expected to take delivery of the ship before 5 October, the anniversary of the Indonesian Armed Forces. On 10 March, a Senate Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee (Commissione Affari esteri e difesa del Senato) vote for the transfer of Giuseppe Garibaldi was delayed by the opposition Five Star Movement (M5S) and Democratic Party (PD). M5S members also asked if the ship could be sold rather than gifted for free to the Indonesian Navy. On 24 March, speaking in front of the Committee, Admiral Giacinto Ottaviani said that maintenance and scrapping costs made the transfer of the ship for free the "most convenient solution" (soluzione più conveniente). The draft decree for a vote was approved by the Committee the same day, and forwarded to the Committees of the Chamber (Commissioni competenti della Camera).

See also

  • Italian Naval Aviation
  • List of naval ship classes in service

References

  • Aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi Marina Militare website