REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesian President Joko Widodo here, Monday, lauded the amphibious version of the Anoa light armored cars, the brainchild of state-owned land system and weapons manufacturer PT indad.
The head of state praised the quality of the armored car following its success in crossing a lake at the Indonesian military (TNI) headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, during a trial run of its amphibious capabilities.
President Widodo said his heart was racing while getting aboard the amphibious version of the Anoa that should have traversed the lake measuring three meters deep and 300 meters in length. "The hearts of all people are pounding, but I do believe that our product indeed is of good quality. We can witness this when the Anoa enters the water and gets back to the bank of the lake," he informed journalists after speaking at the TNI leadership meeting.
The amphibious version of the Anoa armored car that he boarded had been recently purchased by the TNI from PT Pindad, but he emphasized that its quality and selling price should be able to compete with those of similar products from other countries.
The TNI and national police are obliged to prioritize PT Pindad's products, but the orders should not just be from the military and police, he affirmed. The president believes that local military products should instead be offered to other countries. He added that the production costs need to be managed to enable them to be more competitive in the international market.