Pindad Increases Production to Support Construction of New Battalions

Bandung, West Java (ANTARA) — PT Pindad (Persero) is increasing its weapons and ammunition production capacity to support the needs of new battalions being established by the government, while also supplying vehicles to improve personnel mobility.

Pindad Deputy President Director Heru Puryanto said the company was developing facilities to produce ammunition and its raw materials in order to raise output and meet defence requirements.

“We are developing an ammunition factory, as well as factories for propellant and brass cups, which are raw materials for ammunition. This is one measure to respond to the challenge of meeting the needs of new battalions,” he said in Bandung, West Java, on Tuesday.

Pindad is also expanding its weapons production capacity. Heru said annual production capacity for the SS3 rifle had been raised to more than 70,000 units.

“These are the weapons needed by the new battalions. Previously, production was probably below that range; we have now increased capacity to nearly three times its former level,” he said.

Pindad is also supplying Maung vehicles to support battalion mobility. Heru said the company had delivered more than 2,500 of the vehicles to the Ministry of Defence.

Earlier, President Prabowo Subianto inaugurated 204 new Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) units at a ceremony marking the TNI’s 81st anniversary at the PRIMA Field at TNI Headquarters in Jakarta on Monday (5 October).

The new units inaugurated by the president include 150 territorial development infantry battalions, three Indonesian Army combat support battalions, four Marine infantry battalions and three rapid-response para-commando units of the Air Force.