Posted on 09/09/2018 8:33:54 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
The Philippines and Bangladesh have put an order for the 100 KAPLAN medium tanks which are co-produced by Turkish defense contractor FNNS and Indonesia’s PT Pindad, Windu Paramata, the head of the medium tank project at Pindad, has said.
Paramata said the two countries had expressed willingness to buy 40 to 50 units each.
“In October, we will be demonstrating medium tanks there, as a condition for the procurement of defense equipment in their countries,” Paramata told state-run Anadolu Agency on Sept. 7.
Paramata said the Indonesian Defense Ministry also mulled purchasing the KAPLAN tanks but the ministry was still evaluating the number of units to be procured.
Paramata said the Indonesian army’s research and development agency had certified the medium tank earlier this year.
Paramata praised the Turkish-Indonesian battle tank as featuring the most recent technology in the global defense industry.
Poland followed suit in producing a similar tank, Paramata said, adding, however, that the country was still at the concept stage.
Paramata said the medium tank is suitable for use in countries with only two seasons in Southeast Asia, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines as well as in four-season countries as it can operate at a maximum temperature of 50 degrees Celsius, and at a minimum temperature of -30 degrees Celsius.
KAPLAN MT medium-weight tank
The tank’s prototype was first exhibited at the 13th International Defense Industry Fair held last May.
A CMI Cockerill 3105 tower - equipped to fire high-pressure 105mm shells - provides the tank’s firepower.
Diesel-engine powered, the tank has a fully automatic transmission and is able to carry three crew members - a driver, shooter and commander.
With a maximum speed of 70 kilometers per hour (43.4 miles per hour), the vehicle travels distances of up to 450 kilometers (280 miles).
Ballistic guards protect the tank’s body and the vehicle has add-on armor. In addition, the tank’s belly is guarded against mines.
It also has a secondary weapon in the shape of a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun.
I see. Named the tank after a nice Jewish boy and in order to make the tank kosher, they cut off a couple of inches from the gun barrel. They need-not worry about that. I’ll grow back in a few months. /sarc
Mazel Tov. All the tanks are boys!
That nearly vertical frontal plate is just begging for incoming rounds.
Does it come with a 30 money back guarantee?
They will probably be fighting guerillas, not regular armies; so these will do the job as well as the much more expensive varieties.
Simplicity in design. Like that.
Looks rather like a Nazi tank...
You beat me to it. Interesting they decided against any possibility of a ricochet. One hit wonders.
One might wonder why they aren’t procuring US made equipment. I worked for GD on several land vehicles including Abrams and Stryker, among others. All politics aside, what you get when you buy American is an overpriced product that is often years behind the rest of the technology curve. One assembly I worked on, the size of three or four cigarette packs on top of each other and containing a big relay and a few large power resistors sold for something like $50,000. When I looked up the prices of the parts and asked why it was so expensive, the grinning cost accountant said, “’Cause who else can they buy it from?” And, once you’d added in the cost of the social parts of the contract, like an LGBT outreach and mandatory diversity program, plus the consultants required to maintain your ISO 9000 certificate, it was all justified.
American stuff, you can buy better but you can’t pay more.
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