Rosoboronexport signs first contract on supplies of BT-3F armoured vehicles
JSC Rosoboronexport (part of the Rostec State Corporation) and the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Indonesia have signed a contract on the supplies of BMP-3F infantry fighting vehicles and amphibious armoured personnel carriers (APCs) BT-3F developed and produced by JSC Kurganmashzavod in the interests of the country’s Marine Corps.
“The contract on the supplies of BT-3Fs to Indonesia has become the first Russia’s export deal on these new vehicles in history. The design reflected the requests of the partners as well as their experience of using BMP-3Fs, which were delivered to them earlier. Indonesia is very scrupulous about the selection of materiel for its armed forces, and this contract is a serious marker of the highest quality of the Russian weapons and their superiority over competitors,” said Rosoboronexport’s Director General Alexander Mikheev.
Amphibious armoured personnel carrier BT-3F was developed on the basis of BMP-3F and designed for the transportation of units of the marines, coastal guard and land forces, as well as for the fire support of landed parties in all types of combat operations.
The APC is capable of transporting 17 people, including crew members. The control compartment hosts the driver, a member of the landing party and commander’s assistant – at the left and right sides accordingly, both being capable of firing machine guns.
The APC is equipped with energy-absorbing folding chairs, providing a significant reduction in shock loads on the spine when exploded on a mine and when driving on rough terrain. The seats are equipped with five-point seat belts. In addition, the vehicles are equipped with an aggregate compressor air conditioning, which is vital for the conditions of a hot tropical climate.
The roof of the BT-3F accommodates a two-plane stabilized remote-controlled combat module with a 12.7 mm machine gun. For the purposes of monitoring the terrain and aiming, the combat module is equipped with a tele-thermal imaging sight with a laser rangefinder. The module is equipped with a built-in diagnostic system and ammunition counter with an indication of the “ran out of ammunition”.
A high level of unification in the case of the BT-3F armoured personnel carriers and BMP-3/BMP-3F reduces expenses and personnel training costs, simplifies the provision of spare parts and consumables, as well as their joint combat use.
“Indonesia is one of Rostec’s key partners in South-East Asia. The country is fulfilling both the projects in the area of military and technical cooperation and in the field of civilian products and transfer of technologies together with the enterprises of the state corporation. For instance, Rostec is exporting to Indonesia a wide spectrum of medical equipment. A subsidiary of the KAMAZ company has been established in the country to deal with the supplies of trucks to the local market. And we see a huge potential for the development of cooperation. Rostec is not just offering the entire range of armaments and civilian products of the state corporation , it is ready to build industrial partnerships of the highest profile,” noted Sergey Chemezov, Rostec’s head.
The military and technical cooperation between the USSR and the Republic of Indonesia has been carried out since 1958. Intensifica tion of military-technical ties between Moscow and Djakarta took place in late 1990s – early 2000s. In general, since November 1992, the total volume of military products, supplied to Indonesia, has made up over 2.5 bln. US dollars.
Since then Indonesia has received BTR-80A armoured personnel carriers, BMP-3F infantry fighting vehicles, Kalashnikov assault rifles of the “100th” series, Su type planes and Mi type helicopters, as well as other types of weapons and military equipment.
Rosoboronexport is the only state-owned arms trade company in the Russian Federation authorized to export the full range of military and dual-purpose products, technologies and services. It is a subsidiary of the Rostec Corporation. Founded on 4 November, 2000, now Rosoboronexport is one of the leading world arms exporters to the international market. Its share in Russia’s military exports exceeds 85 percent. Rosoboronexport cooperates with more than 700 enterprises and organizations in the Russian defence industrial complex. Russia maintains military technical cooperation with more than 100 countries around the world.
Rostec is a Russian State Corporation that was established in 2007 to facilitate the development, production and export of high-tech industrial products designed for civilian and military applications. The Corporation comprises over 700 organizations in 60 constituent entities of the Russian Federation that are currently part of 15 holding companies and 80 directly managed organizations specializing in manufacturing military-industrial, civilian and dual-purpose products. Rostec’s portfolio includes well-known brands such as AVTOVAZ, KAMAZ, Concern Kalashnikov, Russian Helicopters, UralVagonZavod, etc. In 2017 the consolidated revenue of Rostec reached 1 trillion 589 million rubles, while the consolidated net income and EBITDA amounted to 121 and 305 billion rubles respectively. According to Rostec strategy, the main objective of the Corporation is to ensure that Russia has a technological advantage in highly competitive global markets. Rostec’s key objectives include the introduction of a new techno-economic paradigm and digitalization of Russian economy.
