Indonesia marks out mirrored image of carrier deck at Juanda

Vantor imagery shows a 1:1 scale deck outline of the former Italian Navy aircraft carrier Giuseppi Garibaldi at the Indonesian Navy's Juanda Surabaya Air Base. The deck outline is mirrored and is overlayed over preexisting helicopter markings. (Satellite image © 2026 Vantor/© 2026 Janes)

Recent satellite imagery indicates that the Indonesian Navy has painted a full-size, albeit mirrored, outline of an aircraft carrier flight deck at an airbase in Juanda, Surabaya.

Janes assesses the move to be a preparatory step ahead of the Indonesian Navy receiving its first aircraft carrier, the former Italian Navy ship Giuseppe Garibaldi .

A satellite image captured on 11 May 2026 shows a large, white-lined deck diagram painted on a paved apron area adjacent to hangar infrastructure at the base in Surabaya. The outline replicates the overall shape of the carrier flight deck, including marked deck edges and internal features such as aircraft elevators.

However, the layout is mirrored along the vessel's longitudinal axis, with elevator outlines shown on the port side rather than the starboard, contrary to the ship's actual configuration.

Several pre-existing helicopter landing symbols remain visible beneath and around the newly painted deck outline, indicating that the diagram has been superimposed over an established rotary-wing operating area.

Giuseppe Garibaldi is a 180 m light aircraft carrier that entered Italian Navy service in 1985 and was placed in administrative reserve after its decommissioning in 2024.

Indonesia has stated that it intends to convert the vessel into a platform for helicopters and rotary-wing unmanned aerial vehicles, with a aim of supporting humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) missions once adapted for Indonesian Navy requirements.