TSAMTO, October 23rd. The Indonesian Ministry of Defense has ordered Kaplan tracked armored personnel carriers, which will be developed on the basis of the Kaplan MT medium tank (in India. Harimau) by the local company PT Pindad and the Turkish FNSS.
Production of the first machines is scheduled to begin in 2025, and deliveries are scheduled for the end of 2026. As in the case of the order for tanks, the first prototype of the APC will be produced at the FNSS plant in Turkey, the second at the PT Pindad plant in Indonesia. Qualification tests will be conducted simultaneously in both countries.
PT Pindad will become the main supplier of serial Kaplan armored personnel carriers, and FNSS will be the subcontractor. The companies have concluded a corresponding agreement defining the terms of cooperation.
According to FNSS, the weight of the new Kaplan armored personnel carrier will be about 30 tons, the crew will be 13 people, including the driver, commander and shooter. The APC will be designed as the fastest vehicle in its class.
In the future, both manned and remotely controlled tower systems can be integrated onto the platform. The vehicle can be equipped with rapid-fire guns of light and medium calibers, such as 30 mm or 35 mm (BMP version), as well as 120 mm mortars (CM) and anti-tank guided missile systems (ATGMs).
As already reported by TSAMTO, the Kaplan MT medium tank (Indonesian designation "Harimau") was developed by the Turkish FNSS Savunma Sistemleri (a joint venture between Nurol Holdings and BAE Systems) with the participation of the Indonesian PT Pindad within the framework of the memorandum of understanding signed in 2014 by the governments of the two countries. The practical implementation of the project began in 2015, the first prototype was demonstrated in 2017.
In April 2019, the Indonesian Ministry of Defense signed a contract with the state-owned PT Pindad worth about $135 million for the supply of the country's first batch of 18 serial Harimau tanks. At the end of 2019, FNSS signed a contract with PT Pindad to support the joint production of these tanks.
Harimau prototypes have passed preliminary tests in both countries. Based on the collected data, FNSS made a number of changes and in August 2021 presented a production version that passed factory acceptance tests at the FNSS test site in Turkey. PT Pindad conducted the final fire tests of the vehicle at the training center of the Indonesian Army in February 2022, and the company announced the final acceptance tests on August 23, 2023.
The first 10 of the 18 Harimau tank hulls were shipped from Turkey to Indonesia in March 2022. The final assembly of the tanks was carried out by PT Pindad at its plant in Bandung. The first batch of 10 tanks was officially handed over to the Indonesian Ministry of Defense on February 28, 2024.
Although it is currently unknown when additional tanks will be ordered, the total requirement of the Indonesian Armed Forces to replace the AMX-13 is estimated at 400 vehicles.
The tank weighing 30-35 tons (depending on the armor configuration) is equipped with a 711 hp Caterpillar C13 diesel engine, an Allison/Caterpillar X300 automatic transmission, and a crew of 3 people. The maximum speed on the highway is 70 km/h, the fuel reserve is 450 km. It is stated that the Harimau is capable of overcoming vertical obstacles 0.9 m high, a moat 2.2 m wide, and water obstacles 1.2 m deep fording.
The tank is equipped with a Cockerill 3105 turret of the Belgian company CMI Defense with a 105 mm Cockerill 105 rifled cannon and a 7.62mm machine gun paired with it, a drum-type automatic loader for 12 shots. Another 30 shots are in the body of the car. The commander's 7.62mm machine gun is also mounted on the turret. The gun and turret guidance drives are electric. All 105 mm tank ammunition conforming to NATO standards can be used for firing.
According to FNSS, the tank provides high firepower and a high level of protection for the crew from small arms fire and mine explosions. The booking of the building meets the requirements of STANAG-4569 Level.5 (protection from fire from a 25 mm cannon with armor-piercing ammunition from a distance of 500 m). To increase security, the Pulat active protection system developed by the Turkish ASELSAN can be installed.
The vehicle is equipped with a computerized fire control system, stabilized daytime / thermal imaging sights of the commander and gunner, combat control systems, fire extinguishing, RCB protection and laser radiation warning, PU smoke grenades. The tank is capable of performing tasks at various altitudes, in conditions of high humidity and at temperatures from -18 to +55 degrees C.
