Pindad APS-3 Anoa (Pindad Panser)

History

The Pindad APS-3 "Anoa" (also known as the "Pindad Panser") is an indigenous intermediate armored personnel carrier developed in Indonesia to help modernize its fleet of wheeled armored vehicles for ongoing conflict. After Indonesian authorities laid the groundwork for a new vehicle system in 2003, the national PT. Pindad Group started designing 4x4 vehicles based on Izuzu trucks in 2004. Limited production of the system followed and the development of a failed 6x6 version. All of this led to the development of the modern APS-3, and after its public demonstration in 2006, 150 such examples have been produced to date.

Unlike Pindad's previous attempts, the APS-3 is not based on a commercial truck chassis, but on a new purpose-built chassis designed specifically for the APS-3. Subsequent purchase contracts called for 4x4 and 6x6 wheeled versions of the series.

The Indonesian Army Armed Forces have been using the new vehicle in combat operations since 2009, proving that the design is robust, flexible and capable, leading to possible foreign export orders, and a series of related vehicles based on the same chassis have been designed.

The APS-3 Anoa is designed to meet modern wheeled armored personnel standards. She placed six large rubber tire wheels on the side of the vehicle. The vehicle is suspended by an independent suspension system with torsion bar control.

The front of the design has an angled glacis panel for basic ballistic protection. The hull and superstructure also have inclination angles. There are two seats up front behind thick glass viewing windows. Hinged car doors at the front of the hull allow crew in and out. The doors also support heavy, chunky vision blocks.

At the rear of the drive is a vaulted dome unit that forms a turret system for mounting various weapons to customize mission requirements. The roof of the superstructure is flat.

Pioneer gear can be stowed along the sloping sides of the vehicle, and a tall communications antenna can be seen in the rear left corner of the roof.

The APS-3 consists of a standard crew of three, including a driver, a vehicle commander, and a gunner. The fighting compartment can accommodate up to 10 combat-ready infantrymen, and the main aisle is accessible through the tailgate. Sights with associated firing ports along the sides of the body structure allow passengers to fire weapons in relative safety.

The armored structure is made of steel and built to specific NATO standards.

The APS-3 chassis is powered by a French Renault MIDR 062045 inline 6-cylinder turbo-diesel engine delivering 320 hp at 2,500 rpm. A German Behr cooling pack is also installed on the power pack. The engine is coupled to a German ZF Friedrichshafen S6HP502 series automatic transmission system with 6 forward and 1 reverse gears. The APS-3 can reach a top speed of 56 mph and has a range of 321 miles.

The modular design of the APS-3 leaves room for a local power pack to be installed in the near future.

As an armored personnel carrier, the intended role of the APS-3 is fairly light, and its purpose is to provide point defense, suppression, and cover fire for infantry embarkation and disembarkation. The main weapon is a heavy 12.7mm machine gun or a 40mm automatic grenade launcher mounted in the turret dome, which can be fired at an unobstructed angle from the roof. Heavy machine guns can be used against infantry and lightly armored vehicles, as well as low-altitude aircraft including helicopters. The 40mm grenade launcher can be used effectively against massed infantry, both to suppress retaliatory fire and to clear elements from entrenched positions.

There are two sets of three 66mm smoke grenade launchers that can be used to cover attacking platoons or cover tactical retreats.

In addition to the APC base APS-3 Anoa built by Pindad, other variants are currently in development, including an infantry fire support vehicle (90mm Cockerill Mk III series main gun equipped with a powered CMi defense system). CSE-90 series turret systems), combat ambulances, command and control vehicles with enhanced communications capabilities, ammunition/fuel transporters, engineering vehicles, light reconnaissance platforms and dedicated mortar transporters.

The Pindad Anoa-2 is the latest large variant in development at the time of writing, which adds limited amphibious capabilities by installing water jets. Assume that a single pilot vehicle is completed.

While the APS-3 is currently only in quantitative service with the Indonesian Armed Forces, some foreign operators have expressed interest in purchasing the vehicle for security and military purposes. Oman is seen as a very likely customer, with 200 orders in the pipeline at the time of writing.

Malaysia is another possible operator, as is Bangladesh. Nepal is studying APS-3 UN participation and future internal security requirements.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

for everyone else in our database)

Armor

6 x Smoke Grenade

Changes