"Next year, we will launch the fourth version (of Pindad Maung), and there will be an electric vehicle variant," Pindad's director of technology and development, Sigit P. Santosa, informed after President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) inaugurated the Pindad Maung brand at the Defence Ministry Office here on Wednesday.
He said that the Pindad Maung is the third generation of the Pindad tactical vehicle's development.
To produce the electric variant, the company is striving to increase the domestic component level (TKDN) rate by localizing the production of some components, as Pindad Maung's TKDN rate is currently 65 percent.
"The rolling chassis, trim, engine, and power trim are components that we still import. While the other, such as the design, development, and building, have been done by Pindad or its ecosystem partner, and the vehicle has 65 percent (TKDN rate)," Santosa informed.
The company is seeking to localize the engine and chassis frame, and in the process of developing the electric variant, the company is targeting an 80–90 percent TKDN rate, he added.
Santosa said that the latest Pindad tactical vehicle has evolved significantly from the earlier variant, for instance, the Pindad Maung has a more compact design.
"The wheelbase is 10 inches and is more compact (than earlier generations). In addition, the vehicle has a hybrid off-road and on-the-road capability, which makes it not too heavy for general road use but remains dependable in mountainous terrain," he observed.
Moreover, Pindad Maung has more diverse functionality compared with earlier generations—the vehicle has commando and operational versions as well as a tactical version for adding armaments, he said.
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Translator: Gilang Galiartha, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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