On July 12, 2018, the Indonesian company PT Pindad jointly with the Turkish company FNSS conducted a mine explosion test of the prototype of the medium tank.

The tests were carried out by placing explosives equivalent to TNT 10 kg under the track. The goal is to find out to what extent the strength of the tank design will provide anti-mine protection. After the detonation, only the wheels and track were damaged. While the tank hull has not undergone any appreciable deformations.

"You can see with the naked eye that it passed the test. The purpose of this test is to make sure that the structure of the combat vehicle is not damaged," said PT Pindad Technology and Development Director Ade Bagja. "The components knocked out by the explosion can be repaired, for example, broken tracks and damaged support wheels," he added.

Ade said that the middle tank is the result of the joint design of PT Pindad and FNSS. Tests will be continued to determine the level of injuries to the driver and crew after the explosion.

"We want to make sure that the passengers are safe. Inside the tank, we place a dummy with various sensors to see if there is a death injury from the explosion or not. Fatal or not, there were injuries, we can see in the next few days," he explained.

"The second explosion tests with 8 kilograms of TNT under the hull bottom will be held next Saturday," he also said.

PT Pindad CEO Abraham Mose said he was satisfied with the results of the explosion tests conducted. "The results are very encouraging, because these tanks have been improved after the first and second tests by an explosion in Turkey," he said.

The same was noted by the Director for Defense Procurement of the Ministry of Defense of Indonesia, Bondan Tiara. He hopes that medium tanks will soon be serially produced jointly by PT Pindad and the Turkish FNSS. "We are happy, the result is very good. We hope that the next test can take place with even better results, "he said.

The medium tank Pindad has a combat weight of 32 tons, engine power is 711 hp. It has automatic transmission, a maximum speed of 70 km/h. It can accommodate 3 crew members, consisting of commanders, gunner and driver, and has a turret with a main gun of the caliber 105 mm, which provides great firepower.

Sergyi Way
13.07.2018

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