IndoDefence 2025: PT Pindad presents Upgraded Anoa 3 APC 6x6 for Modern Mechanized Operations.

On June 11, 2025, during IndoDefence 2025, PT Pindad’s Anoa 3 APC 6x6 reappeared as a key platform in Indonesia’s push to modernize its ground forces and expand its regional defense export potential. First introduced at Defense Expo 2022, the vehicle now returns with renewed attention as its updated configuration aligns with evolving battlefield requirements. With a design rooted in local production and adapted to the archipelagic challenges of Southeast Asia, the Anoa 3 stands out not only as a symbol of Indonesia’s industrial ambitions, but also as a functional answer to modern mechanized warfare.
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The Anoa 3 strengthens Indonesia’s capacity to deploy forces across its archipelago while also representing a potential export item in ASEAN defense diplomacy (Picture source: Army Recognition Group)

The Anoa 3 is a 6x6 armored personnel carrier designed for high mobility, troop transport and mission flexibility. It features a diesel engine producing over 400 horsepower and more than 2,000 Nm of torque, enabling a top speed of 100 km/h and a maximum operational range of 450 kilometers. With a combat weight of 20,000 kilograms and a power-to-weight ratio exceeding 20 horsepower per ton, the vehicle maintains excellent agility on varied terrain. It can overcome gradients up to 60%, traverse side slopes of 30%, cross vertical obstacles of 0.7 meters, trenches of 1.5 meters, and ford water up to one meter deep. The Anoa 3 is equipped with independent double wishbone suspension with coil springs, ensuring enhanced stability and crew comfort. Its protection level is STANAG 4569 Level 2, with potential add-on armor up to Level 4, and mine protection rated at STANAG 4569 Level 3b. Optional mission equipment includes a 7.62mm remote weapon station, thermal camera, smoke grenade launchers, battle management system, radio suite, and air conditioning for tropical climates.

The development of the Anoa 3 reflects a continuous evolution that began with the original Anoa APC derived from the French VAB platform. PT Pindad, in cooperation with Arquus, initially introduced the Anoa family to enhance Indonesia’s armored vehicle fleet with local content. The Anoa 1 and 2 were successfully deployed by the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI), including in peacekeeping missions such as UNIFIL in Lebanon. The Anoa 3 builds upon this operational legacy by incorporating lessons learned from field use, and refining both protection and performance parameters. The transition from earlier torsion-bar suspensions to independent double wishbone designs, along with improvements in powertrain and modular systems, underscores PT Pindad’s maturing capacity to design vehicles fit for complex environments.

Compared to earlier iterations and regional equivalents like the Brazilian VBTP-MR Guarani or South Africa’s Mbombe 6, the Anoa 3 presents a balanced solution that favors modularity and affordability. While it may not reach the Guarani’s 700 km range or the Mbombe’s ballistic profile, its scalable armor and mobility profile give it strong credentials as a medium-weight APC suitable for both rural and urban operations. Like Germany’s Fuchs, whose iterative upgrades kept it relevant for decades, the Anoa 3 is designed with future upgrades in mind, including the potential integration of heavier weapons or active protection systems. Its advantage lies in its ability to meet national defense needs while offering cost-effective solutions to regional partners seeking modernization without full NATO-grade budgets.

Strategically, the Anoa 3 fits into a broader Indonesian effort to assert regional defense self-reliance. As tensions rise in Southeast Asia, countries are rethinking their ground mobility doctrines to integrate fast, protected, and networked platforms. The Anoa 3 strengthens Indonesia’s capacity to deploy forces across its archipelago while also representing a potential export item in ASEAN defense diplomacy. Its reappearance at IndoDefence 2025 is not only a product reveal but also a statement about national industrial resilience and regional influence in the armored vehicle market.

PT Pindad’s decision to reintroduce the Anoa 3 at IndoDefence 2025 confirms the vehicle’s status as a cornerstone of Indonesia’s armored capabilities. The evolution from its 2022 version demonstrates real progress in performance, modularity, and mission fit. In a region where mobility, protection, and interoperability are strategic priorities, the Anoa 3 offers Indonesia a domestically produced asset capable of supporting its military doctrine while reinforcing its status as an emerging defense manufacturer on the global stage.