Page 28 - ADT APRIL - MAY 2021 Online Magazine
P. 28
In November 2019, the Research and
Development Agency of the Indonesian
Ministry of Defence (Balitbang Kemhan) suc-
cessfully performed a series of R-HAN 122B
artillery rockets firing tests. These rockets [ ANALYSIS ]
were launched from a locally developed mobile
launcher built by Delimajaya Group, a private
coachwork company based in Bogor, West
Java. Following the successful test, a decision
was made in April this year to start mass pro-
duction of R-HAN 122B in the coming months in
PT PINDAD facility. The mobile launcher proto-
type will also enter mass production, since it will
serve as the main platform for the rockets that
will be used by the Indonesian Marine Corps
(Korps Marinir).
R-HAN (Roket Pertahanan / Defence Rocket)
122B is an Indonesian rocket artillery project
that has been in development since 2007 and
in low-scale production since 2015. It is made
to be compatible with other Multiple Launch
Rocket Systems (MLRS) currently in service
with Korps Marinir. Each R-HAN 122B rocket
carries a 15 kg high explosive warhead with a
maximum range of 30 km. The still-unnamed
mobile platform built by Delimajaya Group
carries a 40-tube rocket launcher that can be
operated remotely with multiple firing modes.
For self-defence, the mobile launcher is also
equipped with a machine gun station as well as
smoke grenade launchers installed on its roof.
Land Systems
In 2015, PT PINDAD collaborated with Turkey’s FNSS to develop Aside from PT PINDAD that produces SS-1
and produce a new “medium tank” called “Kaplan” in Turkey and and SS-2 series as standard assault rifles
“Harimau” in Indonesia (both names mean “Tiger” in English). The for the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI), the
prototype of the tank was first revealed in Istanbul during IDEF 2017 country also has a private company - PT
and then a year later in Jakarta during Indo Defence 2018. After Komodo Armament Indonesia - that manufac-
a series of field testing done by both companies and Indonesian tures law enforcement and military weapons
Army (TNI-AD), the Harimau tank is now entering mass production and ammunition. The company has a product
with the first batch of 18 units for TNI-AD. Follow-on orders for portfolio ranging from 9 mm pistol to 7.62 mm
additional units are expected after 2021 as the tank is projected caliber, six-barreled minigun. The first and
to replace more than 100 of the old AMX-13 tanks still used in TNI- only Indonesian private company in the small
AD’s cavalry battalions. arms and machine gun category. PT Komodo
Armament Indonesia’s D-5 and D-7 rifles have
After acquiring orders for more than 140 Komodo (also known been tested and certified by the Indonesian
as “Komodo Nexter”) armored tactical vehicles from TNI-AD and authorities and are now being used in limited
Indonesian Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob), PT PINDAD’s pro- numbers with special forces units of the TNI.
duction lines are also in the process of mass producing the new
light tactical vehicle “Maung” (“Tiger” in Sundanese - language of Like many other countries, Indonesia has also
Indonesia’s Sunda ethnic group). It is known that the Indonesian realized the importance of developing and
Army has ordered 500 units of Maung, of which the first 40 were manufacturing its own unmanned vehicles for
delivered to TNI-AD in January this year. First initiated in 2018, the defense. One such project is the Unmanned
company managed to reduce Maung’s development cost and time Ground Combat Vehicle (UGCV,) also known
by building upon Toyota Hilux’s chassis and engines. While this may locally as “Sentry Gun”. The UGCV is now under
pose a problem for export, PT PINDAD is exploring the option of active development by PT Ansa Solusitama
replacing the engine with other makers as alternatives. The com- Indonesia in cooperation with the Research
pany is also planning to produce and market a civilian version of and Development Agency of the Indonesian
Maung, this one being powered solely by Toyota’s engine. Ministry of Defense (Balitbang Kemhan). The
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