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Marine Corps gets more war machines
Dozens of Russian-made BMP-3F amphibious infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) made a formation as soon as they landed on Asembagus beach in Situbondo regency, East Java
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Dozens of Russian-made BMP-3F amphibious infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) made a formation as soon as they landed on Asembagus beach in Situbondo regency, East Java. Operated by the Indonesian Navy's Marine Corps, the amphibious IFV column then detected a target some three kilometers away to be neutralized.
With support from dozens of 70-mm rockets fired by a RM-70 Grad multiple launcher rocket system (MLRS), and French-made 105-mm howitzer, the amphibious IFVs approached the target with guns blazing. The installed weaponry includes a 100-mm cannon, 100-mm rocket, 30-mm automatic cannon and 7.62-mm machine guns.
The simulated target, located in the Marine Corps' Combat Training Center (Puslatpur), was eliminated.
The simulation was held on Monday during a handover ceremony of 37 BMP-3Fs from the Russian government to the Indonesian government. In December 2010, the Marine Corps received the first batch of 17 IFV units.
'The vehicles fit into the development of our defense forces to turn the Indonesian Navy into a world class navy,' Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said.
In total, the Marine Corps now has 55 BMP-3Fs, including one BREM-L recovery vehicle. The amphibious IFVs will be deployed to the 1st Marines in Surabaya and to the 2nd Marines in Jakarta.
Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Moeldoko, who also attended the ceremony, said that the new IFVs were part of TNI efforts to modernize its ageing war machines, such as its Soviet Union-made PT-76 amphibious light tanks and French-made AMX-13 light tanks.
The Marine Corps still has about 50 PT-76s, made in 1954, while the Indonesian Army has hundreds of AMX-13, made between the 1950s and the 1960s.
'We cannot upgrade them anymore because they are already too old,' Moeldoko said.
'AMX-13 and PT-76 will be decommissioned gradually and replaced with newer models until the end of Renstra II.'
Renstra II refers to the five-year Strategic Plan II in 2015-2019 to modernize the TNI. Renstra I is in 2009-2014.
Purnomo said more modern weaponry would be procured in Renstra II, such as the Ukrainian-made BTR-4 armored personnel carrier (APC).
Russian Ambassador to Jakarta Mikhail Galuzin said he was very proud to be able to supply the BMP-3Fs for TNI.
'Because we are strategic partners and we have deep trust in the future,' he said on the sidelines of the ceremony.
Purnomo said the Russian government had agreed to the sale of two Kilo-class submarines to Indonesia, which included Klub-S cruise missiles with a range of between 300 km and 400 km.
'We will send a team to Russia in February to asses whether Indonesia will buy new submarines or used submarines and upgrade their capabilities,' he said.
'We want the Klub-S missiles to be included because of their range.'
After the handover ceremony, Purnomo went to Pasuruan regency to visit the Eighth Cavalry Battalion/Tank, which will house German-made Leopard 2 main battle tanks (MBT) and Marder IFVs.
The Eighth, part of the Army's Strategic Reserve Command's (Kostrad) Second Division, will get 40 units of the MBTs and IFVs with the first delivery in October and the rest sent in batches until 2015.
'All in all, we will receive 105 Leopard 2 MBTs and 50 Marder IFVs. They will be deployed at Kostrad's First and Second Divisions,' Purnomo said after visiting the battalion.
'There is also a discourse to deploy them in border areas.'
