Instructor pilots from the Indonesian Navy’s (TNI AL) Naval Aviation Center (Puspenerbal) guided H225M Caracal helicopter pilots from the Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) during a shipboard operation exercise aboard the light aircraft carrier KRI Sriwijaya (100) on October 16. Led directly by the Commander of Kolat Penerbal, Navy Colonel (P) Rai Terianom, the collaborative training event was designed to deepen the air force aviators’ operational skills and understanding when executing maritime rotary-wing missions. The initiative highlights ongoing efforts across the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) to streamline cross-service aviation procedures, forging tactical synergies between naval and air force elements operating over the nation’s expansive territorial waters.
The training rigorously evaluated aircrews on deck handling characteristics and complex over-water launch and recovery techniques, while emphasizing absolute communication protocols between helicopter crews and shipboard flight deck personnel. Operating in open sea conditions requires specialized handling due to vessel motion, shifting winds, and tight deck tolerances, demanding high precision from non-naval aviators. By conducting these joint serials, both services aim to optimize operational readiness and strengthen joint-service interoperability in support of maritime security operations, combat search and rescue (CSAR), and air support missions across the archipelago.
The exercise marks a notable deployment of the Indonesian Air Force’s H225M Caracal fleet aboard the newly inducted warship. The air force currently operates 14 units of the long-range tactical transport helicopter, originally delivered starting in November 2014 for dedicated CSAR duties, with local maintenance and structural component manufacturing handled by state-owned defense firm PT Dirgantara Indonesia. Landing the twin-engine platform on naval decks expands the operational envelope for these heavy-lift assets, allowing TNI AU Caracal squadrons to project force and sustain extended SAR or troop transport capabilities far beyond land bases.
Providing the afloat platform for the drill, KRI Sriwijaya (100) represents a central enhancement to the Indonesian Navy’s surface combatant fleet. Formerly commissioned in 1985 as the Italian Navy flagship Giuseppe Garibaldi and serving 39 years before its 2024 decommissioning, the vessel was acquired by Indonesia in 2026 and formally commissioned on September 24, 2026, under the command of Colonel Mochamad Fuad Hasan and a 400-strong crew. Operating as Indonesia’s first aircraft carrier, the vessel is slated for comprehensive modernization upgrades to serve as a multi-role helicopter and uncrewed aerial vehicle carrier, making joint exercises with air force assets a critical step in establishing its operational concept.
