Indonesian state-owned defense company PT Pindad will receive the first modern medium tanks (MMWT) from the Turkish FNSS.
The ten systems without turrets are part of a total of eighteen tanks in the Indonesian Army. Harimau Hitam (Black Tiger) is the Indonesian name for Kaplan-MT and its development is a collaborative effort between the two companies. The shipment will be delivered to the PT Pindad factory, where the CMI Defense Cockerill C3105 turret will be installed before handing over to the Army.
The Marinaru/Kaplin-MT has a combat weight of 35 tons, making it more suitable for less developed road and bridge networks, thereby expanding its potential operating area. The vehicle uses a front Caterpillar C13 711 hp power unit coupled to an Allison X300 transmission. This provides a respectable 22.2 hp/ton power-to-weight ratio. The Modular Armor Pack provides 14.5mm heavy machine gun armor penetration protection at 200 meters. This can be supplemented to 30mm protection by the frontal arc. Its V-shaped hull is resistant to 10kg mine blasts.
The turret equipped with the Cockerill CT-CV 105HP (high pressure) features a rotary autoloader with 16 rounds and is fully stabilized. The rifled gun is compatible with all standard NATO ammunition, including armor-piercing, high-explosive and smoke grenades. In addition, it can fire anti-tank missiles fired from the laser-guided Fararic 105mm cannon. It is a 7.62 coaxial machine gun that can mount another on top of the turret. Thermal sights including panoramic hunting capability and digital fire control provide accurate day/night engagements. The tank is equipped with a 360-degree perimeter surveillance camera system to facilitate situational awareness for the three-person crew.
Orders for these Harimaru tanks topped the list in 2019, according to a prototype unveiled at the INDEF expo in May 2019. In August 2021, the first production model with improved visibility and ergonomics was presented at INDEF. Army testing takes place in spring 2022. Although the Philippines and Bangladesh had shown early interest, other solutions were eventually chosen (Elbit Sabrah for the former and NORINCO VT-5 for the latter). Therefore, Indonesia will be the sole deployment country for Harimaru at this time.
Stephen W. Miller
