Turkey, Indonesia agree to develop medium-weight tank

Turkey and Indonesia have signed an agreement to jointly develop and produce a medium-weight tank, Turkey's Undersecretary for Defense Industries announced on May 7.

The two countries signed an agreement for the design and manufacture of two prototype medium-weight tanks. The intellectual property rights will belong to both countries, the Undersecretary said in a statement.

The deal, which will be completed in 37 months, also included manufacturing one tank body to be used in mine tests.

Under the program, surveillance activities will be performed by an executive committee which will be established by the Ministry of National Defense of Indonesia and Turkey's Undersecretariat for Defense Industries.

Turkish FNSS Defense Systems, the leading land combat systems company in Turkey, will provide job training to Indonesia's state-owned PT Pindad for the medium-weight tank's design and production.

The first prototype will be produced in Turkey with the participation of PT Pindand's engineers and the second prototype will be produced in Indonesia by PT Pindad.