Highly effective solution [ID18D1]
Being showcased here at Indo Defence for the first time are the first two examples of the Medium Tank (MT), which has been jointly developed over a four-year period by FNSS Savunma Sitermieri of Turkey (Stand A050D) and PT Pindad of Indonesia (Hall B, Stand B345) to meet the operational requirements of the Indonesian Army.
Formal qualification tests started in July and were complete in August in Indonesia. Three phases were conducted, comprising mine tests, endurance and firing trials.
The mine tests were carried out on an MT hull and were successfully completed in July, according to FNSS. The endurance tests were carried out in Java from 6-16 August, during which the vehicle travelled almost 2,000km on the western part of the island and was put through its paces in various types of terrain and under difference climatic conditions. Firing tests were carried out in Bandung between 25 and 27 August, during which the MT successfully engaged moving targets while the platform was also moving.
The MT is fitted with the latest CMI Defence Cockerill 3105 turret, which is armed with a high-pressure 105mm rifled gun that can fire various natures of NATO standard 105mm ammunition. The 105mm gun is fed by a bustle-mounted automatic loader, which has enabled the turret crew to be reduced to commander and gunner. The turret is also armed with a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun.
The computerised fire control system enables the MT to successfully engage stationary and moving targets while the platform is moving.
The commander's roof-mounted stabilised sight enables hunter/killer target engagements.
Main battle tanks today commonly weigh 60 tonnes or more, which can limit their mobility on existing road networks; the new MT is much lighter and therefore more deployable.
According to K Nail Kurt, general manager and CEO of FNSS, "Medium Tank will be a highly effective solution in today's conditions of asymmetric warfare. The vehicle meets all of the requirements of an easy and rapid positioning, high-mobility, low-visibility, high-firepower and cost-effective medium weight tank."
It is expected that Indonesia will place a minimum initial contract for 44 unites for the MT for the Indonesian Army.
https://www.janes.com/article/84337/highly-effective-solution-id18d1
Anka for Indonesia? [ID18D1]
In an obvious push to further promote its flagship medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to Indonesia, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI, Stand A050M, Turkey pavilion) has a full-sized model of its Anka on display here at the show.
Proudly sitting in the corner of Hall B1, the aircraft is here just three months after TAI announced it is seeking opportunities to collaborate with Indonesian industry in order to pitch Anka for a local tender.
TAI has said it will modify the system as needed to meet any specific requirements Indonesia may have, and will do so by incorporating local suppliers into the supply chain. This co-operation will not be limited to UAVs, but will also be open to other potential markets and requirements.
Anka is being displayed with its satellite communications capability, as well as a weapons fit including Roketsan’s 22kg MAM-L Smart Micro Munition. The UAV has a 17.3m wingspan, a 200kg payload capacity, and an endurance of some 24 hours.
https://www.janes.com/article/84335/anka-for-indonesia-id18d1
End-to-end protection [ID18D1]
Leonardo (Hall D, Stand D208) is pitching its BriteEye electronic warfare suite to meet an Indonesian air force requirement for a self-protection capability for its BAE Systems Hawk light attack/trainer fleet, building on the SEER capability already installed on board the aircraft.
The system is a low-cost aircraft protection system that defends platforms from radar-guided threats in a single system, cueing the launch of appropriate effects from a countermeasure dispensing system.
It incorporates the company’s SEER radar warning receiver (RWR) capability to detect the threats – a system that is already integrated onto Indonesia’s Hawks – before cueing countermeasures including flare or Leonardo’s BriteCloud expendable radar-jamming decoy. As Leonardo provides the whole suite, it can offer an end-to-end radio-frequency protection capability, offering more interoperability between the different elements, it says. “Our SEER radar warning receiver, which detects and identifies potential radar threats and alerts the pilot, is already installed on board Indonesian air force Hawks,” Alberto Pietra, director of marketing and sales for Leonardo’s Airborne and Space Systems division, told the Show Daily.
“We’re now looking to go a step further and are offering complete end-to-end protection from radar-guided threats, including our world-leading BriteCloud expendable radar-jamming decoy, which is now in service with the UK’s Royal Air Force.”
Indonesia has been actively seeking a RWR capability for its Hawk fleet, in order to effectively protect it during light attack missions.
“With BriteEye on board, the Indonesian air force would have the freedom to operate in areas that would otherwise be off-limits due to modern ground radar emplacements,” Pietra noted.
“Any incoming radar-guided threats would be picked up by SEER and could then be automatically directed away from the aircraft by our BriteCloud decoy, without adding any additional workload for the pilot.”
Leonardo added that it is already working with Indonesian pilots and technicians to ensure the air force is getting the most out of its SEER systems; updating them so they can effectively react to new threats as they emerge.
https://www.janes.com/article/84336/end-to-end-protection-id18d1