Indonesia has constructed a tank Boat. It is a boat that floats like a ship, but with a mounted tank gun. It is a perfect defense vehicle for a country like Indonesia.
Indonesia has thousands of islands scattered across the sea. So, this tank boat is just ideal for defending such a nation.
The “tank boat” is designed to transport more than a platoon of Indonesian Marines. It will be used to defend the Indonesian archipelago from external threats and pirates.
According to an Indonesian defense blog, sea trials of Tank Boat have started in East Java on April 28.
Following are some of the salient features of this hybrid vehicle:
- The vehicle is capable of patrolling 600 miles on a single tank of gas. In other words, it can travel from Washington D.C. to Boston on a single tank of gas.
- It features a tank-like turret to provide fire support.
- Tank boat will be able to ferry up to 60 personnel.
- It incorporates a catamaran design, giving it a large internal volume, stability at sea, and a shallow draft of just 3 feet.
- Tank Boat is 59 feet long and 21 feet wide.
- It is equipped with two 1,200-horsepower MAN engines and two water-jets.
- A foil elevates the hull at higher speeds, reducing drag and giving the Tank Boat a top speed of 40 knots.
- The Tank Boat also has a remote-controlled, 7.62-millimeter machine gun.
According to PT Pindad, a state-owned defense company, “It is hoped that the Tank Boat can support the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) in conducting patrols along Indonesia’s seas, rivers, and coasts, and also support coast guard operations,”
According to the Indonesian Ministry of Defense, Tank Boat could be operational as early as next year.
