INDONESIA has taken delivery of 12 Assault Amphibious Vehicles (AAVs) M35, with the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) Marine Corps receiving the vehicles in a ceremony attended by the country’s defence minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) chief General Agus Subiyanto aloongside the US Embassy in Indonesia’s acting deputy chief of mission Aqueelah Johnson and TNI top brass.
The arrival of the 12 AAVs comprising 11 AAVP7 personnel carrier variants and 1 AAVC7 command variant are among the first batch of 35 AAVs procured by Indonesia in a US$23 million deal, Indonesia’s first significant Foreign Military Sale (FMS) deal with the US. “Indonesia’s procurement of Assault Amphibious Vehicles demonstrates our shared commitment to promote security and readiness across the Indo-Pacific through modernised equipment,” said acting DCM Johnson.
“Both the Indonesian Marine Corps and the US Marine Corps recognise the battle-tested performance of this generation of AAVs, which will provide TNI-AL new and enhanced capability to project power from sea to shore. Indonesia plans to acquire 70 additional AAVs to strengthen operational capabilities across the archipelago,” a US Embassy statement continued.
TNI-AL Chief of Staff Admiral Muhammad Ali added: “This is a FMS programme from the US. We are being given a special price due to our close relationship with the US Marine Corps. Their relationship with the Indonesian Marine Corps is very good.” The admiral added that another 23 AAVs will arrive by the end of this November. The Indonesian Marines will receive additional batches of the vehicles, with 35 units expected in 2027 and another 35 the following year, totalling to 105 units. Additionally, he explained that the vehicles were more capable than the South Korean-made amphibious vehicles currently in service, able to navigate rough waters up to sea state 5.–-shp/adj/dl (Pix:US EMBASSY JAKARTA)
