Jakarta, (Antara) - The Indonesian Army plans to procure Pandur II 8x8 armored vehicles developed and produced by an Austrian company in an attempt to strengthen Indonesia's primary weapons defense system.
"We have discussed to buy Pandur to substitute our old military equipment," Indonesian Army Chief of Staff General Mulyono stated during a leaders' meeting of the Army here on Monday.
He said that the purchase of Pandur had been included in the 2017 strategic plan.
Mulyono pointed out that the Pandur II 8x8 was an improved modular all-wheel-drive version of the Pandur 6x6 APC wheeled armored vehicle.
"The purchase will become our priority," he noted.
However, Mulyono could not divulge the number of Pandur units that would be purchased.
"We have not spoken about the number of units. We are still discussing the specification and the functions of the Pandur," he stated.
Based on wikipedia.com, the vehicle is an all-welded steel hull, with optional armor upgrades. The basic armor package is designed to protect against 7.62-14.5 millimeter (0.300-0.571 inch) armor-piercing rounds, and customers can select the armor thickness.
The vehicle is designed to be carried aboard a Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules transport aircraft.
The driver is seated on the left at the front, and the engine is to his right. The driver is provided with a single-piece hatch cover as well as three day periscopes, one of which can be replaced by a passive periscope for night missions.
The vehicle is fitted with a two-stage synchronized distribution gear box for both road and cross-country use. Improved suspension will be fitted for optimum cross-country mobility. The vehicle's design enables several turret systems, such as the SP 30 turret, which is also mounted on the ASCOD AFV of the Spanish and Austrian Armies, or it can be used as a standard APC, with a mounted machine gun.
With a mounted turret, the vehicle can carry six infantry soldiers, while without the turret, it can carry 12.(*)
