Indonesia has decided to replace the Russian BTR-80A armored vehicles used in UN peacekeeping missions in Lebanon with modern Pandur 8×8 vehicles manufactured in the Czech Republic.
The change marks the end of an approximately 16-year cycle of operating the Russian models by the Indonesian Marine Corps. The 12 vehicles recently returned to the country and are now based in Jakarta, at the 1st Naval Cavalry Regiment.
The Pandur 8×8 vehicles were acquired through an agreement with the Czech company Excalibur Army, part of the Czechoslovak Group (CSG). The vehicle kits were produced by TATRA Defense Vehicle, while final assembly will be carried out by the local manufacturer PT. PINDAD. The purchase was announced in 2020, with 23 units expected to be delivered.
The fate of the old BTR-80A vehicles has not yet been decided; they may be sold or decommissioned. Indonesia had acquired the Russian armored vehicles in 2000 but abandoned plans to expand the fleet in favor of the domestic APS-3 Anoa model.
The BTR-80A, introduced in 1994, served as the basis for the more advanced BTR-82A and now retires from Indonesian international missions.
Source: Militarnyi | Photo: X @Jatosint | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
Their role within the 🇮🇩 UNIFIL Contingent was replaced by Pandur:https://t.co/hDGyMITI9a
— JATOSINT (@Jatosint) November 10, 2025
