Indonesian Army’s 13th Cavalry Inducts Harimau Tanks

March 21,2024

By:Yulian Ardiansyah

The Indonesian Army’s 13th Cavalry Battalion has officially welcomed nine Harimau tanks into its arsenal. The induction ceremony took place on Tuesday (Mar. 19), marking a significant addition to the battalion’s capabilities. These tanks, delivered earlier this month to the unit’s headquarters in Tenggarong, East Kalimantan province, are slated to play a crucial role in safeguarding the forthcoming Indonesian capital, Nusantara, set to be inaugurated in August this year.

The Harimau tanks are the product of a collaboration between the Indonesian state-owned enterprise PT. PINDAD and Turkish defence company FNSS. As part of the initial consignment of 18 hulls delivered by FNSS to Indonesia in March 2022, these nine tanks underwent fitting with Cockerill 3105 turrets at PT. PINDAD’s facility. Following this, rigorous testing and adjustments were conducted to tailor the tanks to the specific requirements of the Indonesian Army.

Formally transferred from the Indonesian Ministry of Defence (Kementerian Pertahanan RI / Kemhan) on February 28, 2024, these Harimau tanks have now replaced the ageing French-made AMX-13 tanks that had been in service with the 13th Cavalry Battalion for nearly three decades.

In addition to bolstering the arsenal of the 13th Cavalry Battalion, there are plans to acquire additional Harimau tanks and more Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) to equip various other Cavalry Battalions. While some of these tanks are expected to be stationed in East Kalimantan province, specific details regarding these plans are yet to be announced.

Initially named the Modern Medium Weight Tank (MMWT) project during its early development phase in 2015, it was later renamed Kaplan Medium Tank (Kaplan MT) in Turkiye, and Harimau in Indonesia – both meaning “Tiger” in English. The project called for the development of a 105 mm cannon-armed tracked armoured vehicle with a compact size and lighter weight than the MBTs to better suit Indonesian terrains.

Each Harimau tank measures approximately 6.9 metres in length (9 m including the gun), 3.3 metres in width, and 2.45 metres in height. Crewed by three personnel – a commander, a driver, and a gunner – the tank weighs around 35 tonnes. It is powered by a Caterpillar C13 diesel engine delivering 711 hp of power, allowing for a maximum speed of about 78 km/h on paved roads or approximately 70 km/h off-road.

Equipped with the Cockerill 3105 turret, its 105 mm high-pressure gun features a minimum elevation of ten degrees and a maximum elevation of 42 degrees. In addition to the NATO-standard 105 mm ammunition range, the gun can also launch Falarick anti-armour missiles with a maximum effective range of over 4 km.

The Harimau tank boasts a standard protection rating of STANAG 4569 level 4, which can be enhanced with modular add-on armour to increase its protection rating to level 5. This means that with the additional armour, the tank is capable of withstanding 25 mm calibre, armour-piercing projectiles fired from 500 metres, exploding 155 mm artillery shells from 25 metres, and up to 10 kg anti-tank mine explosions under its hull.

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