Indonesian Company PT Pindad Conducts Test on FNSS Zaha Marine Assault Vehicle (MAV)

Indonesian defense company PT Pindad conducted tests on the FNSS Marine Assault Vehicle (MAV). The MAV (Marine Assault Vehicle) nicknamed Zaha (Zirhli Amfibi Hucum Araclari) is a tracked amphibious armored vehicle developed and manufactured by the Turkish company FNSS. FNSS Zaha Marine Assault Vehicle was developed by FNSS to meet the requirement of the Turkish Navy. Turkey is one of only a small number of countries to have the capacity and infrastructure to produce this type of combat vehicle. As part of the project, the FNSS was asked to produce 27 vehicles and to be completed by 2022. A new Armoured Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAAV) could potentially be the answer for a replacement for Indonesian marine’s aging amphibious assault vehicles. A scaled model of the MAV was showcased for the first time at the IndoDefence 2018 exhibition held in Jakarta, Indonesia, in November 2018. FNSS exhibited the ZAHA MAV with CAKA Remote Weapon Station (RWS) in Indo Defence Expo & Forum 2022.

The Marine Assault Vehicle (MAV) is the latest technology amphibious vehicle designed by FNSS to meet the amphibious operational requirements. During the beach landing phase of an amphibious operation, these vehicles are launched from landing helicopter docks (LHD) and can rapidly cover the distance between the vessel and shore, allowing marine units to land under armor protection. Once on land, they can operate alongside other armored vehicles. The base platform of the amphibious vehicle can be used for the development of multiple variants including an armored personnel carrier (APC), a command post vehicle, a mine clearance vehicle, and a recovery vehicle.

The Indonesian Marine Corps is currently an integral part of the Indonesian Navy and is sized at the military corps-level unit as the naval infantry and main amphibious warfare force of Indonesia. Indonesian Marine Corps is heavily influenced by United States Marine Corps (USMC) but signature weapon available to the Marine Cavalry Regiment, though perhaps more associated with the Russian Naval Infantry armored vehicles and doctrine. Indonesian Marine Corps had more than 400 amphibious armored vehicles and has shortlisted the Russian developed BT-3F amphibious tracked vehicle to replace its marines corps’ aging BTR-50PKs and AAV-7. Indonesian contract with Russia for Marine equipment has stuck due to Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). But Indonesian MoD has allocated Rp.3.6 trillion (US$286 million) to buy 79 BT-3F amphibious armored vehicles.

FNSS and PT Pindad have already demonstrated their capacity to cooperate. Two companies have signed an agreement to support the serial production of the Kaplan MT Modern Medium Weight Tank (MMWT). The governments of Indonesia and Turkey first agreed in May 2015 to jointly develop the MMWT for the Indonesian Army at a reported cost of 30 million US dollars. The MMWT is equipped with a Cockerill CT-CV 105HP (High Pressure) 105 mm rifled gun manufactured by Cockerill, with the barrel mounting a bore evacuator and thermal jacket. The intellectual property of the design was agreed upon to be shared between the two governments. FNSS has gained the capacity to produce Armoured Amphibious Assault Vehicle for the Turkish Armed Forces.