Shipped away from France, the VAB MK3 6×6 wheelbase has now arrived in Jakarta to be displayed in the defense exhibition Indo Defense 2022 (2 – 5 November 2022). With green striped paint, VAB MK3, this APC ranpur looks like it will attract public attention, because the VAB MK3 comes with the Pindad logo on the front.
The appearance of the Pindad logo on the ranpur that has not been ordered by the Ministry of Defense, at first glance reminds of the Sanca 4×4 ranpur, which was exhibited by PT Pindad during Indo Defense 2016. Sanca is a 'variant' of the Bushmaster ranpur.
The presence of the Sacan Bushmaster at that time was probably related to the planned cooperation between PT Pindad and Thales Australia to develop and produce the Bushmaster in Indonesia. However, so far there has been no continuation of the Sanca development plan.
Regarding the VAB MK3 6×6 at Indo Defense, it is trusted more for product introductions to Indonesian audiences. Moreover, the name VAB VAB (Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé) is already so attached in Indonesia, because the VAB debut became the forerunner of the birth of the Anoa ranpur produced by PT Pindad.
The VAB is currently manufactured by Arquus, France. In general, VAB MK3 is offered in troop transport, law enforcement, fire support vehicle, mortar carrier, command post, ambulance, and infantry fighting vehicle variants. The latter variant, the IFV is offered in the adoption of several types of medium caliber 20 – 30 mm – TRT-25/30, CMI CPWS 20-25 and Nexter ARX-25.
The VAB MK3 is said to have a weight of up to 20 tons, as a comparison the weight of the old VAB is only 13 tons. The soaring weight of the armored vehicle was due to the adoption of extra armored material to protect the crew and troops.
Although the characteristics of the (old) VAB design are not abandoned, there is something interesting about displaying the MK3 VAB, where the MK3 VAB already carries a modular concept. In general, the VAB MK3 has a length of 6.7 meters, a width of 2.5 meters and a height of 2.2 meters. With full fuel, at a speed of 60 km per hour this ranpur can explore up to 800 km.
In Paris (Eurosatory 2022), on June 14, Arquus and PT Pindad signed a Memorandum of Understanding (NK) to build future collaborations on a defense system platform for Indonesia. This NK covers the development and production of the latest armored vehicles, as well as related systems and services. With this agreement, the two companies agreed to establish a formal and larger-scale partnership.
Arquus and PT Pindad have had a successful long-term relationship over the last 15 years. Throughout the course of the collaboration, Arquus has supplied key components and spare parts that have been integrated into Indonesian-made armored vehicles for PT Pindad.
In the context of this collaboration, Arquus has specifically supplied powerpacks for the APC Anoa 6×6 and Badak 6×6 IFV vehicles, which are currently serving in the Indonesian Army. Arquus has also supplied the rolling chassis for the Komodo 4×4 vehicle.
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