Indonesia goes all in on Russian weaponry...

via Shepard Media.

Indonesia inked a $175.2 million deal for two types of amphibious armoured vehicles – BMP-3F IFVs and BT-3F APCs – at a ceremony in Jakarta on 22 April. Once delivered, the vehicles will be allocated to the Indonesian Marine Corps (Korps Marinir).

The deal with Rosoboronexport, Russia’s state arms import/export agency, for 22 BMP-3Fs is worth $108 million, while that for 21 BT-3F vehicles comes to $67.2 million. Jakarta will pay for this acquisition via foreign loans, likely from Russia.

This is the third batch of BMP-3F IFVs, built by the Kurgan Machine-Building Plant (KMZ), that Jakarta has ordered for the Indonesian Marine Corps. A total of 17 BMP-3Fs and a single BREM-L recovery vehicle were ordered in 2009, and another 37 vehicles were added in a $114 million deal in 2012.

With this new batch the marines will soon have 76 BMP-3Fs at its disposal. The vehicles will be used across the three divisions of the Indonesian Marine Corps.

This acquisition also helps fulfil modernisation of the Indonesian Armed Forces under Phase 2 of the Minimum Essential Force initiative as part of the nation’s 2015-19 Strategic Plan.

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There is high commonality between the BMP-3F and BT-3F, ensuring more efficient training, maintenance and better spare-parts availability.

This decision for the BT-3F sounds a death knell for the Ukrainian BTR-4M 8x8 amphibious vehicle. Indonesia received five units in 2016, but it was unhappy with the type’s seaworthiness, and a follow-on buy of 50 more BTR-4s was axed. 

Story here. 

Always thought the BTR-4M was a weird, frankenstein type vehicle and it looks like the Indonesians have woken up to that fact.

Congrats to the Russians but I will continue to view this as a missed opportunity.

No way in hell they should be tilting this far towards them and not to us.  I don't know where things went wrong but its a shame that they aren't operating US systems.

Be that as it may, it does seem like they're building a smart force. 

Side note.  Can the BMP swim in open ocean?  I know the BT-3F is supposedly capable of doing so but I remain skeptical.