Pindad president director Sudirman Said said he expected his company would become the supplier of weapon turrets, ranging from 25 millimeter (mm) to 105 mm calibers, for CMI's world markets.

"In this industry, there is no producer that makes all of its products. Everyone will seek the best," said Sudirman.

"CMI is the best in weapon systems and they trust Pindad in the production of armored vehicles."

Sudirman was speaking on the sidelines of a ceremony for the signing of a memorandum of understanding, during which CMI was represented by executive vice president James Claude.

Claude said this partnership was the first for his company, saying that Pindad had the needed technical ability to produce the turrets.

"It is a beautiful marriage. We do turrets. We do not do vehicles, while PT Pindad does vehicles today, but not turrets. It's perfect," he said.

Claude also said that CMI would help Pindad in selling the products in the world market. "Because we have the global network," he said.

Both Sudirman and Claude expect the partnership could become a permanent venture in the future. They also set a target of one year for the initial partnership to come up with a jointly produced weapon system.

Pindad currently has the capability to produce wheeled armored vehicles, such as the Anoa armored personnel carrier (APC) and the Komodo armored tactical vehicle.

Sudirman said the company would soon develop tracked armored vehicles, such as a medium tank being developed in cooperation with Turkey. (++++)

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