FNSS finishes testing first Kaplan APC for Indonesian Army

The first Kaplan APC, an armored personnel carrier Turkish manufacturer FNSS is building for Indonesia, has completed its pre-delivery acceptance tests in Turkey.

FNSS and Indonesian state defense manufacturer PT Pindad ran the tests under their Kaplan APC Development and Production Agreement, signed in October 2024 to meet an Indonesian Ministry of Defense contract for a 30-ton class tracked personnel carrier. The vehicle will now ship to Indonesia, where FNSS and PT Pindad will run final acceptance tests with the Indonesian Army. A second Kaplan APC is being built in parallel at PT Pindad’s own facilities in Indonesia, part of a technology transfer arrangement between the two companies.

The Kaplan APC extends a partnership that dates back further. FNSS and PT Pindad jointly developed the Kaplan MT, known in Indonesia as the Harimau, a medium tank the companies began delivering to the Indonesian Army starting with an initial batch of 18 vehicles. That program’s technology transfer model was a factor in the Ministry of Defense’s decision to award the follow-on APC work to the same two companies, according to FNSS. Deliveries of the Kaplan APC were previously expected by the end of 2026, and the completed pre-delivery tests keep the program on that general timeline.

The vehicle is built to carry a crew of up to 13, including a driver, commander and gunner, with the remaining seats for dismounted troops who enter and exit through a power-operated rear ramp. It shares automotive components with the Kaplan MT to cut through-life costs, and FNSS says the design also draws on subsystems from its Marine Assault Vehicle, already in service with the Turkish Naval Forces Marine Infantry Brigade.

FNSS describes the Kaplan APC’s protection as including ballistic armor and mine protection systems, along with an automatic fire suppression system, air conditioning and a CBRN filtration system that keeps the crew compartment sealed. Customers can add an active protection system to defend against anti-tank missiles and rocket-propelled grenades if they choose. The vehicle’s electronics are built on an open architecture, which FNSS says makes it easier to add a battlefield management system or a 360-degree situational awareness system with day and night vision.

The Kaplan APC is designed as a modular platform. Depending on customer requirements, it can mount light or medium-caliber weapons such as 30mm or 35mm cannons, or heavier systems including 120mm mortars and anti-tank guided missiles, in either manned or unmanned turrets. FNSS says the same modularity lets the vehicle be configured for mechanized infantry, reconnaissance, command and control, medical evacuation, rescue, combat engineering, and direct or indirect fire support roles.