The Serial Production of Kaplan Tank (Harimau Tank) will Appear at IDEF

16 Agustus 2021

The serial production configuration of the Kaplan MT (Indonesia : Harimau tank) with minor changed (photos : Anadolu)

Ankara -  Kaplan MT (Indonesia : Harimau), the first vehicle exported by the Turkish defense industry in the tank class, will be exhibited at the 15th International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF 2021) with its serial production configuration.

According to the information obtained by the AA correspondent, FNSS, the armored land vehicle manufacturer of the Turkish defense industry, will make a strong participation in IDEF 2021, which will be held on August 17-20 with the armored communication vehicles in its product portfolio.

Among the vehicles to be exhibited by FNSS, there will be the medium weight class Kaplan MT tank. IDEF fairs witnessed important developments for Kaplan MT. The launch of Kaplan MT in 2017 and a co-production contract with PT Pindad was signed in 2019 to meet the needs of the Indonesian army. At IDEF 2021, this time the serial production configuration of the tank will be introduced.

The design perfection work for Kaplan MT, which was developed within the scope of the project where FNSS successfully applied the technology transfer model to PT Pindad, and for which a serial production contract was signed after the prototype period tests were concluded, has been completed.

Kaplan MT successfully passed the endurance and firing tests carried out in Turkey and Indonesia during the prototype period. With the entry into force of Kaplan MT's co-production contract signed in 2019, mass production work has begun at FNSS facilities. Under the contract, 18 Kaplan MT tanks will be produced. The first 10 tanks will be produced in Turkey, and the remaining 8 tanks will be produced in Indonesia.

Body design changed

Many improvements were made to the tank during the transition from prototype to mass production. In this context, driver visibility and handling ergonomics have been improved. The body design was perfected in line with the feedback from the end user.

Based on the experience gained from the tests, improvements were made in the tower system, power transmission group, cooling system and suspension system.

The first leg of the first vehicle acceptance tests was completed in Turkey with customer participation. After the final acceptances in Indonesia by the end of the year, the first vehicle will be delivered to the army of this country.

The production of the remaining vehicles in the project continues. Towards the end of the year, the acceptance of these vehicles will start and will continue in 2022.

Kaplan MT Project draws attention as the first project initiated and concluded within the framework of the "Defense Industry Cooperation Agreements" signed between Indonesia and Turkey, as well as being the first export contract signed by Turkey in the medium weight tank class.

(Anadolu)