Bilateral relations between Turkey and Indonesia began in 1957, marked by the opening of a Turkish representative office in Indonesia. Since then, the two countries have been involved in a cooperative relationship that continues to develop
Turkey and Indonesia united through their defense companies, FNSS Turkey and PT Pindad Indonesia, to develop a joint medium tank. Indonesia, in its efforts to achieve defense independence, requires technology transfer, encouraging continued defense cooperation between the two countries. Indonesia appointed PT Pindad, a Defense Industry BUMN, to collaborate with the Turkish company, FNSS, in the development of medium tanks and Software Defined Radio (SDR). FNSS, with long experience in the defense and security industry, has collaborated with various countries in the manufacture of defense equipment. Through this collaboration, Indonesia hopes to be able to produce defense equipment made in domestic industry again, while FNSS has carried out similar collaboration with other countries in the defense industry.
Harimau Tank is a symbol of strength and toughness involved in the development, production and application of Nazi Germany's heavy tanks during World War II. The history of this tank began in the mid-1930s, when Germany, then led by Adolf Hitler, realized the need to develop a war vehicle that was more powerful and able to face competition from other countries.
Design of the Harimau Tank began in 1937, and its first prototype, called the VK 4501 (H), was introduced in 1942. Its mass production began in the same year under the official name Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger Ausf. E, or better known as Tiger I. This tank demonstrated significant technical innovation, especially in terms of armor and weapons.
Harimau tank I weighed up to 56 tons with very thick armor, making it almost less vulnerable to enemy attacks at that time. The main weapon is the 88mm KwK 36 L/56 cannon which has high penetration capabilities and accuracy. This tank is capable of destroying enemy tanks from relatively long distances, giving it a significant advantage in tank-to-tank combat.
Harimau tanks were first actively used on the Eastern Front against Soviet troops. His presence on the battlefield created a huge psychological impact and made the allied troops cautious. Despite its superiority in tank combat, production of the Harimau Tank was limited due to the complexity of its design and high production costs. Only about 1,300 were produced during World War II. Over time, a more advanced version, the Tiger II or King Tiger, was developed with superior armor and weapons. The Tiger II had very thick frontal armor and a longer 88mm KwK 43 L/71 gun.
However, the success of the Tiger Tank was also accompanied by challenges and criticism. The high production costs and complexity of its design raise questions about its efficiency and effectiveness on the battlefield. Despite this, the Tiger Tank remains one of the famous heavy tanks in military history and became the focus of study and research related to military technology after World War II. Its existence shows the evolution in tank design and use during that conflict and its impact on the development of military doctrine in the future.The Harimau tank is a light/medium tank jointly developed by Turkish manufacturer FNSS and Indonesian manufacturer PT Pindad, which started in 2010. The tank itself is called Kaplan MT by Turkey and Harimau by Indonesia. This vehicle is equipped with a 105 mm caliber two-man turret and a 7.62 mm caliber machine gun for maximum firepower. The Tiger Medium Tank is specifically designed for tropical operating areas such as forests because it is lighter than the Main Battle Tank. The benefits that Indonesia will get from this cooperation in building the Tiger Tank are:
1. With the success of cooperation in the joint production of the Kaplan Medium Tank or Harimau Tank with Turkey, this can be seen as one way to increase Indonesia's defense capabilities. With this cooperation in making Tiger Tanks, Indonesia can further improve its defense equipment capabilities, especially in terms of production and development of tanks, be able to make progress in the development of the defense industry and the independence of defense equipment, and be able to strengthen Indonesia's defense capabilities in protecting its national interests.
2. This cooperation allows the transfer of technology from Turkey, which can support the development and independence of the Indonesian defense industry. Thanks to the collaboration between PT. Pindad and FNSS can enable the transfer of knowledge, technology and experience in the field of production and development of defense equipment, which is expected to provide progress in the development of the defense industry and independence of defense equipment in Indonesia. This collaboration is also expected to lead to the development of new technology and products in the Indonesian defense industry.
3. This collaboration is also in line with the concept of the techno-nationalist impulse, where this collaboration can strengthen the resilience of the Indonesian National Army's defense equipment. Cooperation between Indonesia and Turkey in the defense industry, especially the tank industry, is seen as one way to achieve Indonesia's national interests in protecting the sovereignty and security of its citizens from various threats. Not only that, this collaboration also aims to strengthen the resilience of the Indonesian National Army's defense equipment.
4. This collaboration has also contributed to the independence of the Indonesian defense industry, which is an important aspect of Indonesia's national security. According to the MEF, Indonesia's achievement of independence for defense equipment is marked by an increase in the number of domestic defense equipment used by the Indonesian military. So, this collaboration has been able to push Indonesia towards the independence of its defense industry
5. From an economic perspective, the benefits that can be felt from this tank development collaboration are that it can create jobs, especially for skilled technicians, and also this collaboration can stimulate economic growth for both countries.
