The Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL / Tentara Nasional Indonesia-Angkatan Laut) conducted multi-helicopter flight operations aboard its newly commissioned light aircraft carrier, KRI Sriwijaya (100).
The exercise evaluated shipboard maneuverability, air traffic control coordination, and rapid disaster-response scenarios. Transferred from the Italian Navy (formerly the V/STOL carrier ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi) and commissioned into TNI-AL service on September 24, 2026, KRI Sriwijaya functions as Indonesia’s flagship for amphibious command, uncrewed system operations, and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) / Military Operations Other Than War (MOOTW). The flight maneuvers verified deck integration across five naval helicopters assigned to Naval Air Command Air Wing 2 (Pusnerbal).
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: KRI SRIWIJAYA (100) AIR DECK & ROTARY INTEGRATION
Host Vessel Baseline & Flight Deck Kinematics
⚡ Platform Lineage: Ex-Italian Navy V/STOL Aircraft Carrier ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi (C 551); acquired July 2026, commissioned into TNI-AL September 24, 2026
⚡ Displaced Tonnage & Dimensions: Full Load Displacement: 14,150 tonnes | Length: 180.2 meters | Beam: 33.4 meters | Draft: 8.2 meters
⚡ Flight Deck Dimensions: 174.0 meters long × 30.0 meters wide flight deck featuring 6x marked rotary-wing landing spots and a 6.5-degree ski-jump ramp
⚡ Propulsion & Speed: COGAG (Combined Gas and Gas) configuration via 4× General Electric/Avio LM2500 gas turbines generating 81,000 hp; Maximum Speed: 30+ knots
⚡ Aviation Infrastructure: Hangar bay (110 m × 15 m) serviced by two 15-tonne aircraft elevators connecting the flight deck to internal maintenance bays 
Participating Aircraft & Squadron Deployments
💥 Eurocopter AS565 MBe Panther (3 Units — Air Squadron 100):
• Primary Role: Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and maritime search-and-rescue (SAR)
• Rotary Avionics Suite: Equipped with HELRAS dipping sonar, L-3 L-3 Ocean Systems processing, and lightweight ASW torpedoes (Mk 46 / A244-S)
💥 Bell 412EP/EPI (2 Units — Air Squadron 400, Air Wing 2):
• Primary Role: Tactical utility transport, medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), and logistics vertical replenishment (VERTREP)
• Payload Dynamics: Configured for rapid casualty extraction and troop insertion in austere archipelagic coastal zones
Flight Operations Scenarios & Qualification Envelope
🚀 Flight Maneuver Protocols: Executed High/Low Reconnaissance, Dummy Approaches (deck approach without touchdown), Touch-and-Go landings, and Full-Stop deck landings across multiple flight spots
🚀 HADR / MOOTW Mission Profile: Simulated emergency relief staging, accelerating logistics delivery and victim evacuation from outer islands under simulated disaster conditions
🚀 Tactical C2 Coordination: Integrated Air Traffic Control (ATC) communication links between KRI Sriwijaya’s flight direction center and Pusnerbal pilots
TIMES OF DEFENCE ASSESSMENT
The integration of AS565 MBe Panther and Bell 412 helicopters aboard KRI Sriwijaya (100) highlights TNI-AL’s work to operationalize its first aircraft carrier.
From an aerospace engineering and archipelagic naval operations perspective, the exercise provides three main strategic insights:
1. **Accelerating Archipelagic HADR and Logistics Mobility**: Indonesia’s territory spans over 17,000 islands, making long-range HADR logistically complex. Utilizing KRI Sriwijaya as a sea-based staging base allows heavy rotary-wing lift assets (like Bell 412s and AS565s) to project supply missions and medical evacuations directly into disaster zones without relying on damaged ground infrastructure.
2. **Transitioning V/STOL Infrastructure to Rotary and UAV Ops**: Built originally for AV-8B Harrier II V/STOL fighters, the 174-meter flight deck provides ample space to run simultaneous multi-spot helicopter ops. As TNI-AL integrates uncrewed aerial vehicles (such as the Bayraktar TB3), KRI Sriwijaya will serve as a hybrid platform combining ASW helicopter patrols with long-endurance UCAV reconnaissance.
3. **Enhancing ASW/Surface Surveillance Screening**: Operating three AS565 MBe Panther helicopters from a mobile carrier deck extends TNI-AL’s anti-submarine warfare screen. Launching dipping-sonar-equipped Panthers from international maritime straits (e.g., Malacca, Sunda, Lombok) improves blue-water domain awareness without placing coastal land bases at risk.
