Indonesia Replaces Russian APCs with Czech Ones for UN Mission in Lebanon

Indonesia has ended the use of its Russian-made BTR-80A armored personnel carriers in peacekeeping missions, replacing them with Czech Pandur 8×8 vehicles.

Local military analyst JATOSINT reported the news on X.

According to his information, 12 BTR-80A vehicles belonging to the Indonesian Marine Corps have returned home after around 16 years of service in Lebanon as part of a UN peacekeeping mission.

The vehicles are now stationed at the base of the 1st Marine Cavalry Regiment in Jakarta.

The outdated Russian APCs have been replaced by modern Czech-made Pandur 8×8 armored vehicles.

The future of the BTR-80A vehicles remains uncertain – they may either be scrapped or sold to a third country.

Indonesia purchased 12 of these armored vehicles back in 2000, while a planned additional contract for 20 more units was canceled in favor of the APS-3 Anoa.

The BTR-80A was adopted into service in 1994. This modification is armed with a 30 mm 2A72 automatic cannon and a 7.62 mm PKT machine gun, both mounted in a new turret with a cradle-type layout. In fact, this version served as the basis for the BTR-82A’s development.

Information about Indonesia’s purchase of Czech armored personnel carriers was first reported in 2020, when it was announced that 23 vehicles would be delivered.

Under the agreement, Czech defense exporter Excalibur Army, part of the Czechoslovak Group (CSG), supplied Pandur II vehicle kits to Indonesia, manufactured by TATRA Defense Vehicle.

PT. PINDAD will locally perform the final assembly of the armored vehicles.