Indonesia has transitioned from Russian BTR-80A armored personnel carriers to Czech Pandur II 8×8 vehicles for its UN peacekeeping operations in Lebanon.
The Marine Corps’ 12 BTR-80As returned home after a 16-year deployment and are currently stored at the 1st Marine Cavalry Regiment base in Jakarta. Their ultimate disposition remains undecided, with reports indicating possible decommissioning or transfer abroad, United24 reported citing Indonesian sources.
Indonesia received its first batch of BTR-80As in 2000, while a planned second order of 20 was later abandoned in favor of producing the locally developed APS-3 Anoa 6×6. The BTR-80A—introduced into Russian service in the mid-1990s—carries a 30mm automatic cannon and a 7.62mm machine gun on a redesigned turret, a configuration that later inspired the BTR-82A.
Jakarta’s procurement of 23 Pandur II vehicles was revealed in 2020. The units were supplied by Excalibur Army, with vehicle kits produced by TATRA Defence Vehicle and shipped to Indonesia’s state-owned PT Pindad for assembly.
About the Pandur II
The Pandur II has a length of 7 meters (24 feet) and accommodates up to 12 personnel. It shares the BTR-80A’s primary armament—a 30mm cannon and 7.62mm machine gun—but can also mount a 105mm cannon, a 12.7mm heavy machine gun, or anti-tank missile systems.
Powered by a 455-horsepower, six-cylinder liquid-cooled diesel engine, it achieves speeds of 100 kilometers (62 miles) per hour and a cruising range of 700 kilometers (435 miles).
