January 20 2012, Jakarta: Indonesia could build its own main battle tank (MBT) if the country could acquire sufficient knowledge, Deputy for Science and Technology Relevance and Productivity at the Research and Technology Ministry, Teguh Rahardjo said on Friday in Subang, West Java.
The Indonesian Army’s plan to buy some 100 surplus, German-made Leopard 2A6 MBTs worth some US$280 million from the Dutch has drawn criticism from politicians and observers saying the government should have acquired such tanks from state-owned arms maker PT Pindad.
“The purchase of Leopard MBTs is an opportunity for researchers to learn how to improve their capabilities,” he said as quoted by Antara news agency.
“The Leopard’s technical specifications such as in accuracy of fire are extremely advanced.”
He added that Indonesia so far had only acquired the technology to make wheeled armored personnel carriers but not tracked tanks which could overcome various difficult terrains.
The Dutch army is abolishing its heavy armored divisions in defense budget cutbacks to cope with the prolonged economic crisis.
Teguh said his ministry was ready to help PT Pindad to assess and develop the technology used in the Leopard tank.
“If this is to become a technology transfer program that will be developed nationally, we are aiming to master it in the next five to 10 years,” he said.
“But of course it will depend on the readiness of the weapons and engine-producing industries.”
He said it had been quite a long time since the Indonesian Military (TNI) had replaced its aging and obsolete tanks.
The Defense Ministry expects to sign the contract for the Leopard MBTs in the first half of this year despite strong opposition from several quarters including both Indonesian and Dutch parliamentarians.
Source: the Jakarta Post
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