INDONESIA ACQUIRES ITALIAN AIRCRAFT CARRIER AND TAIWAN PLANS TO PRODUCE 200 ANTI-SHIP MISSILES
September 24-30, 2026 | Issue 39 - PACOM Team
Yuyutsa Chavda, Antonio Tomassini, Gabrielle Nerstheimer, Gayatri PVS, Lucy Gibson
Jaydn Burgin, Editor; Ben Gentemann, Senior Editor
Aircraft Carrier[1]
Date: September 24, 2026
Location: Indonesia
Parties involved: Indonesia; Indonesian Navy; navy; ground forces; military units; Italy; countries in the region
The event: The navy acquired its first aircraft carrier KRI Sriwijaya-100, from Italy to use for mobile operations and disaster response.[2]
Analysis & Implications:
Indonesia will likely deploy its new aircraft carrier to combat recurring wildfires and haze, likely affecting fire response procedures in hotspots across the country's islands. The country's archipelagic geography, with limited land-based infrastructure, will very likely continue to hinder rapid ground-force response to forest and peatland fires, likely positioning the ship as a mobile command hub for helicopters and drones. While a mobile command hub will likely enable relief deployments near fire-prone regions like Kalimantan and southern Sumatra, inland fires will likely continue to receive delayed responses due to travel distance. Delayed responses to inland fires will likely prompt updates and enhancements to fire-response plans in inland regions, likely evaluating the new carrier´s impact in providing logistical support and deploying alternative ground forces to compensate.
There is a roughly even chance that the Indonesian aircraft carrier's purposes will extend beyond humanitarian operations, likely increasing concerns over heightened tension and militarization for other countries in the region. The Indonesian Navy will very likely consider the carrier as a mobile command platform to coordinate military units, likely installing drones and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft for operational flexibility. This outfitting will likely equip the carrier with AS565 Panther helicopters and Bayraktar TB-3 dual-use drones, very likely enabling it to serve as a base for a range of military missions such as reconnaissance, close air support, and troop transport. KRI Sriwijaya-100´s operational versatility will likely project regional power against Indonesia’s external and internal threats, likely allowing Indonesia to carry out operations in strategically significant waters, such as the Strait of Malacca.
Date: September 28, 2026
Location: Taiwan
Parties involved: Taiwan; Ministry of National Defense; China
The event: The Ministry of National Defense announces domestic production of 200 Hsiung Feng anti-ship missiles by 2035.[3]
Analysis & Implications:
The announcement will likely signal a shift toward self-reliance in surface-defense weapon production, likely delaying resupply logistics in a conflict. Increased domestic production of anti-ship missiles will likely focus on enhancing surface defenses, likely leaving counterattack infrastructure vulnerable to underwater naval attack systems such as Chinese Extra Extra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (XXLUUVs). The lack of an immediate solution for XXLUUV counter capability will likely drive Taiwan to increase local production and volume of missile boats, air-to-air, and air-to-surface missiles, likely to compensate for undersea inferiority. Taiwan will likely continue focusing on an asymmetric warfare strategy, likely neglecting logistical support advancements needed to resupply and sustain weapon systems in the event of conflict.
Taiwan’s anti-ship missile production will likely highlight a need to diversify weapon arsenal toward systems that are easier and cheaper to resupply, likely increasing Taiwan's drone capabilities. Taiwan will very likely anticipate an attack on its anti-ship missiles during conflict, very likely aimed at slowing Taiwan´s ability to counterattack by damaging munitions. The need to delay potential enemy warships crossing the strait will very likely drive Taiwan to prioritize anti-ship missile production, likely supplementing these weapons with cheaper domestically produced drones to enhance its asymmetric military strategy. Expanded drone capabilities will likely enable Taiwan to prepare for a broader range of attack scenarios and to sustain longer conflicts, likely increasing its chance of resisting foreign invasions.
[1] Aircraft Carrier, by NAVCENT Public Affairs, licensed under Public Domain (The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)/Department of War (DoW) visual information not imply or constitute DoD/DoW endorsement.)
[2] Indonesia reflags a former Italian warship as its first aircraft carrier, ABC News, September 2026, https://abcnews.com/International/wireStory/indonesia-reflags-former-italian-warship-aircraft-carrier-136709810
[3] Taiwan to build more anti-ship missiles, Taipei Times, September 2026, https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2026/09/28/2003864997
