Indonesia signs LOI with PT Pindad for Kaplan medium tanks

Indonesia has reaffirmed its interest in acquiring the Kaplan MT Modern Medium Weight Tank (MMWT) developed by Turkish company FNSS Savunma Sistemleri and Indonesian land systems company PT Pindad.

The Indonesian MoD signed an LOI with PT Pindad on 12 April reaffirming its interest in acquiring Kaplan MT tanks (similar to this one). (FNSS)

On 12 April the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in Jakarta signed a letter of intent (LOI) with PT Pindad for the procurement of up to 20 Kaplan MTs – known locally as the Harimau – for USD135 million, an MoD source told Jane’s on 18 April.

A contract is expected to be signed within one or two years once funding for the acquisition becomes available, said the source, pointing out that funding will come from the defence budget, a foreign defence credit, or a mixture of both.

“Now that the LOI is signed, the MoD will make a formal request for funds [for the Kaplan acquisition] in the next defence budget,” said the source, adding that delivery of the tanks is expected to take place within three years of the contract being signed.

The signing of the LOI comes after Turkey’s state-owned Anadolu Agency (AA) had quoted Nail Kurt, the general manager of Turkey’s FNSS, as saying in September 2018 that the tank was ready for mass production after having passed qualification tests with the Indonesian Army.

The tank successfully underwent almost three months of trials designed to test its durability and lethality, Kurt told the media outlet at the time.

As Jane’s