Indonesian state-owned company PT Pindad – a key member of the DefendID defence industry consortium – has partnered with Türkiye military vehicles specialist FNSS to collaborate on the development and production of a new tracked armoured personnel carrier (APC) for the Indonesian Army (TNI-AD).
The proposed new 30 tonne vehicle is named the Kaplan APC (Armoured Personnel Carrier) and will be the latest entry in FNSS’ Kaplan tracked armored vehicle family, the company announced during the Saha Defence and Aerospace Exhibition 2024 in Istanbul on 22 October.
FNSS stated that the new Kaplan APC will be able to accommodate up to 13 personnel including driver, commander, and a gunner. It will also feature an open electronics architecture to facilitate integration of battlefield management systems as well as other advanced mission systems.
FNSS noted that the Kaplan APC will leverage on the company’s experience in tracked armoured vehicle design and will also incorporate improvements made during the development of the Kaplan Medium Weight (MT) tank, which has been acquired for the TNI-AD as the Harimau medium tank.
Manufacturing of the Kaplan APC is expected to commence in 2025 with the first vehicle produced at FNSS facilities in Türkiye, while the second and subsequent APCs will be manufactured by PT Pindad following technology transfer from the latter. Deliveries are expected by the end of 2026.
FNSS earlier delivered Kaplan MT hulls to PT Pindad, which then performed integration of the CMI Defense Cockerill C3105 turret as well as associated equipment at the latter’s facility. Unlike the Leopard 2RI main battle tanks (MBTs) used by the army, the Harimau tank’s combat weight of approximately 35 tonnes enables it to access less-developed road and bridge networks, potentially expanding its operating areas.
by Jr Ng
