You will know that the Koreans take their project timelines seriously if you have the opportunity to work with them. KF-21 flight test programme according to their schedule is planned for next year. So far all their timeline is as per schedule. Now 4 more KF-21 prototypes already on the assembly line.

Singapore is still flying four KC-130B that is more than 60 years old, with no plans to retire them soon.

2x built in 1958, 2x of 1960 vintage.

TUDM has 5x Hercules of mid 1970s vintage, 3x of early 80s, 6x of early 90s.

MRTT is bought as a replacement for the KC-135

A400M is bought as a capability increase to supplement, not replace the C-130.

stranger things happened, and something in the Indonesian defence procurement list does not really mean anything.

For example they signed so many MOUs for the Iver and japan frigates, but in the end signed up for FREMMs, which was also not in the Indonesian defence procurement list.

Sour grapes.

The frenchies simply cought napping and assumed that Indonesia cannot afford high end frigates and only offered low end gowind corvettes to indonesia when indonesia clearly stated that they wanted bigger frigates.

Iver is not a separate deal. There is no deal for the Iver so far.

Iver is the favourite of the Navy itself.

FREMM is what the Indonesian ministry of defence signed up for.

Which is why Kepala Dinas Penerangan Angkatan Laut Laksamana Pertama TNI Julius Widjojono does not want to comment on the FREMM when asked.

https://nasional.tempo.co/read/1471502/keme...ta-merek-khusus

Its Indonesia, and like malaysia, expect wahyu dari langit types of orders as normal.

TUDM LCA/FLIT


https://www.malaysiandefence.com/tejas-will-be-in-the-mix


http://alert5.com/2021/07/22/hal-to-bid-on...ias-lca-contest


https://malaysiaflyingherald.wordpress.com/...for-lca-program


https://tanahairdefence.blogspot.com/2021/0...-july-2021.html

KD Jebat with HMS QE

for something that costs 7.5 million dollars each, to have armor that just can take hits from 30mm shells is so lame.

congratulations indonesia for the new tank, but every other countries are better off getting cheap T-90, VT-4 or even upgraded Type 59G tanks with better protection.

for the same amount of money, 100 Type 59G would be a better bet than say just 12-18 Kaplan MT.

I prefer Indonesia to buy more Kaplan MT aka the Harimau. It will be an easy meal for our RPG-7 rocketeers, while eating up a big portion of indonesian military budget.

The hull armor of Kaplan MT is using modular armor. It is categorized as STANAG 4569 level 4 protection, which means the tank can withstand 14.5×114mm AP rounds at 200 meters with 911 m/s velocity. The underbelly of the tank uses V-hull, able to withstand 10 kg AT mine under the tracks and under the center. Due to modularity, the armor can be augmented to level 5 protection (withstand 25 mm APDS-T at 500 m with 1258 m/s velocity) without increasing the volume of the tank, with the frontal arc able to withstand 30 mm rounds.

Bangladesh did have a look at the Kaplan MT, but ordered the VT-5 instead.



This post has been edited by alexz23: Aug 16 2021, 10:04 AM

the VT5 can be fitted with the GL5 APS as stated in the VT5 video.

By the way nice for the Gempita to troll behind the Kaplan MT in the picture.

APS can intercept things like RPG-7 and ATGMs. But when faced with something like a 30mm rapid fire GI30 gun in our Gempita that can fire 60 rounds per minute, APS will easily be overwhelmed by saturation. APS like Pulat have limited number of effectors, and it is not meant to stop shells and bullets. Which is why base armor strength is still important even if you have APS.

Yes it is too expensive, but we got 257 of them in the end, unlike just 18 of the Harimau. Our cost includes the factory, all the various specialized versions with VIGTAQS etc. plus at least 216 Ingwe ATGM missiles that comes with the Gempita.

Malaysia priority until 2030 should not be with the army. So money should not be wasted on expensive medium tanks.

Even Singapore, which has mostly prioritized its army in the past, is putting more money into its navy in the near future, with new submarines, new large frigates, new flat top.

both are equal armor protection-wise.

but...

one is a "tank" and will be operated as a tank and will be a magnet for every MBT, ATGM and cannon fire within 1km of the Harimau.

one has a slow 6-8 rounds per minute firing speed, while the other has 60 rounds per minute firing rate, with ATGM ripple fire of up to 4 missiles at one go.

Do MY have a need for 105mm gempita?

IMO no.

The current 30mm gun + INGWE combo is more than enough for the Gempita to hunt and kill IFVs and Medium tanks like the Harimau. Not having a 105mm gun will make the user not wrongly using it against things like an MBT.

A medium tank with 105mm gun will be used against real deal tanks, as that is what the 105mm gun is designed to do, to penetrate MBT armor. But the slow shooting 105mm gun when confronted with fast firing 30mm gun, i would prefer to have a fast firing 30mm gun to slice thin armor any day.

Also something that looks like a tank, it will be the number 1 target in a column of armoured vehicles, mixed with other IFVs and APCs. No matter what is the armor like. So in my opinion if it looks like a tank, it should have armor to withstand hits like a tank, as it will be the magnet for all of the first hits. A huge 35 ton vehicle that looks like a tank but can just take 30mm hits and that is just at the front arc? It is a recipe for disaster. It is also larger and taller than BMTs such as T-72, which makes it more stand out as a target.

Harimau


T-72


This post has been edited by alexz23: Aug 17 2021, 10:39 AM

So can you enlighten me from your understanding, what is the purpose/main idea why the Harimau/Kaplan MT is designed. What is it supposed to do?

This post has been edited by alexz23: Aug 17 2021, 10:49 AM

If it is just made for fire support and killing APC and IFV, why do you need a 105mm gun??

It looks like a tank, and believe me, the generals will use it like a tank. And the enemy will mark it out as the number 1 target on the battlefield, as it looks like a tank.

As for fire support, malaysian soldiers now have plenty of RPG-7 and to add new lightweight Carl Gustavs to not needing a fire support vehicle with 105mm gun. Which is why we have retired all our 90mm fire support vehicles (SIBMAS, Commando and Scorpion)



IFV not designed to face medium tank????

The Gempita with 30mm cannon and Ingwe missiles is made to kill IFVs and Medium tanks.

Gempita 30mm cannon can easily penetrate the Harimau tall and large side armor, and with a firing speed of 60 rounds per minute, will easily saturate any APS systems installed.

Actually Gempita with 30m can penetrate a Harimau with add-on armor. Add on armor for Harimau is rated up to 25mm cannon fire only. Harimau does not have armor protection of a tank, so the Harimau is a fair game for Gempita.

Harimau 105mm has a 10km indirect range (ie lobbing shells on a ballistic arc for long range fire support, not to kill other IFV or tanks), the Gempita GI30 has a 4km direct fire range. Both weapons of Harimau and Gempita can easily kill each other, it depends on how quick the crew acquire and shoot at the target.

The 105mm strength is the ability to penetrate tanks. With that is a sure bet of the user actually using the Harimau against real tanks.



ST Kinetics/SAIC was not selected for the US Army MPF Program, BAE and General Dynamics got to move on to the evaluation phase.

In my opinion, the best executed light fire support vehicle so far is the Jaguar EBRC. It is in a sweet spot of low cost, adequate firepower, light weight and mobility.

Not many AFV nowadays cost less than 1 million euro like the Jaguar EBRC, the only thing cheaper from my memory is the Oshkosh JLTV at around 350 thousand dollars each.

Congratulations to indonesia on the OPVs.

I dont really understand the meaning of the launch. There will be 2 different types of OPV being officiated at the same steel cutting ceremony?

Why 2 different types being build simultaneously at the same shipyard?

Also if I am Indonesia, I would put all OPVs under the Indonesian Coast Guard, not the navy.