The 180-metre Giuseppe Garibaldi was donated by Italy after four decades of service.

Plans include adapting it to carry helicopters and drones for firefighting and other emergencies, potentially providing a mobile platform to support communities affected by disasters across the archipelago.

Credits: Unsplash; Author: Kelly Sikkema;

The carrier itself was free, but adapting it could cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

Up to 450 million dollars in foreign borrowing has been authorised for the programme, while one estimate puts modernisation costs at around 900 million dollars.

The Navy hopes to operate the vessel for another 15 to 20 years, prioritising humanitarian and disaster-response missions while retaining the possibility of military use.

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