Pakistan, Maldives…Turkey became a big arms dealer in Asia, gave Tiger tank to Indonesia

Türkiye’s weapons are continuously increasing in Asia. Türkiye was still supplying drones. But now its tanks have also started coming to Asia. The Indonesian Army has inducted medium weight tanks made in collaboration with Turkey earlier this month. The Indonesian Embassy in Turkey made an announcement, according to which Indonesian Defense Minister and newly elected President Prabowo Subianto handed over ten tanks to the army. It is known as Kaplan or Tiger. Indonesian company PT Pindad and Turkish company FNSS collaborated to produce the tank, the announcement said.

This step by Indonesia directly recognizes Turkey’s defense technology. Turkey and Indonesia signed an agreement in 2015 to jointly develop and produce medium-weight tanks. The agreement included provisions for the design and construction of two prototype tanks. In this agreement it was stipulated that Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) would belong to both the parties. Testing of the prototype was started in 2017. The first batch of tanks was delivered to the Indonesian Army in March 2022.

Indonesia is making drones
According to Turkish media reports, the sale of Tiger tanks is the first foreign deal. The Kaplan MT or Harimau is a modern medium-weight tank, designed for exceptional tactical mobility with a high level of lethality. According to FNSS, ‘These armored vehicles will bridge the gap between main battle tanks and light armored vehicles. These will offer balanced solutions for modern military operations. It has also been told from Indonesia that it is also manufacturing 12 ANKA drones along with TUSAS.

Türkiye’s drone sales increased
This announcement shows Türkiye’s growing presence in the Asian market. Turkey’s defense industry has received a boost amid rising global demand and ongoing conflicts around the world. It is moving forward with its drone. Turkish companies are making arms manufacturing partnerships with other countries. This includes the fifth generation KAN warplane, L-400 light aircraft carrier. This aircraft carrier is the first in the world to be built for drones. Due to this, the interest of small Asian countries has increased in it. Turkish drones have recently been purchased by Maldives. Pakistan has also purchased Turkish weapons. Turkey’s drone sales have increased due to its performance in the Ukraine war.