The Indonesian Alutsista website on May 11 reported the delivery of three M3 Amphibious Rigs (bridge/pontoon) and two 8x8 recovery vehicles at the Port of Tanjung Perak, Surabaya.
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GDELS M3 Amphibious Rig unloaded at Tanjung Perak, Surabaya (Picture source: Alutsista Indonesia)
The M3 Amphibious Ponton procurement contract from the Indonesian Ministry of Defense consists of 18 units of M3 amphibious pontoon, 3 units of the tactical command group vehicle (Pokko), 5 units of trackway vehicles, -2 units of Recovery Vehicle.
The delivery of these vehicles is being achieved in five shipments, the last one being scheduled for the end of 2020. The first one took place in September 2019, the second in February 2020 and the third now in May 2020. The last two scheduled ones will take place at so far unspecified dates.
The M3 Amphibious Rig is a self-propelled amphibious bridging vehicle that is used for the projection of tanks and other vehicles across water obstacles. Originally developed by the German firm Eisenwerke Kaiserslautern (EWK, since 2002 acquired by General Dynamics European Land Systems), it succeeded the conceptually similar M2 made by the same company. Like its predecessor, the M3 traverses roads on its four wheels, deploying two large aluminum pontoons for buoyancy on water.
Development of the M3 began in 1982, with the final prototype being delivered 10 years later in 1992. The first order of 64 serial vehicles was made in 1994, and it entered service with the German and British armies in 1996. Since then, the M3 has also been adopted by the armies of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Singapore. An upgraded version, known in some circles as the M3G, is in service with the ROC and Singapore armies. This version features an armored cabin, NBC protection, an air conditioning system and a special tropical kit.
The M3 is self-deployable by road, operating as a 4x4 wheeled vehicle with a maximum road speed of 80 km/h. It is driven into the water for an amphibious operation, for which it deploys two large aluminum pontoons, unfolding them along the length of its hull. In water, the M3 is propelled and steered by 2 fully traversable pump jets at speeds of up to 14 km/h. Multiple rigs may be joined by long connectors called "ramps", 4 of which are carried on each vehicle, to form a bridge across a water obstacle. 8 M3 Rigs will bridge a 100m water gap this way and can be traversed by vehicles up to and including the heaviest 60+ ton main battle tanks. Alternatively, just 2 Rigs may be joined to create a ferry capable of carrying a similar load across much wider water gaps. 3 Rigs joined together may carry up to the equivalent of 2 such MBTs.
Excalibur Army Treva-15 Armored Recovery Vehicle unloaded at Tanjung Perak, Surabaya (Picture source: Alutsista Indonesia)
Excalibur Army Treva-15 Armored Recovery Vehicle
The 8x8 recovery truck that accompanied the third shipment arrived in Indonesia is a Czech-made Excalibur Army Treva-15 Armored Recovery Vehicle (ARV). This 31.5-ton vehicle uses the Tatra T815-7 truck base. The same truck base is in service with the Navy Corps as a tank transporter.
The Treva-15 is equipped with a large crane of 15 to 20 tons capacity. This vehicle is equipped with a winch designed to pull other vehicles weighing up to 44 tons.
Excalibur Army Treva-15 Armored Recovery Vehicle (Picture source: Excalibur Army)
