Pindad Claims to Have High Local Content

Medium Tank Pindad-FNSS [ def.pk] ★

State-owned weapons manufacturer Pindad president director Abraham Mose has claimed that the company’s medium-weight tank prototype mostly consisted of locally made hardware components, at about 70 percent.

The company’s statement came after President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo recently instructed the enforcement of local content requirements (TKDN) in various sectors to cut back imports and trigger investment in import-substitution industries.

“Pindad is 100 percent capable in terms of software [of its products]. However, on the hardware side, we still need imported machines,” Abraham said in Bandung recently.

He said the tank prototype, which was developed in cooperation with Turkish company FNSS Defense Systems Inc., represented a lengthy process in domestic weapons development.

The company’s medium-weight tank prototype weighs 32 tons and has a 20 horsepower engine. It can travel at a maximum speed of 70 kilometers per hour.

The tank prototype can accommodate three people: a commander, a shooter and a driver. It is equipped with an autoloader mechanism with 12 bullets in the turret and 26 reserves in the hull.

To finish the certification process, the tank prototype is set to undergo firing tests at the Infantry Education Center in Cipatat, Bandung, from Aug. 27 to 30.

Previously, the tank prototype passed endurance and mobility tests with flying colors.

  ♞ The Jakarta Post