Hello everyone,
US player aCrazyShrineMaiden (NA server obviously) recently took a trip to Japan, where he visited the JGSDF (Japanese army) Public Information Center (otherwise known as the “Rikkun Land”, located in the Asaka Camp). He took some pictures of the vehicles there, wrote the descriptions and decided to share it with us. Enjoy!
Type 74
The Type 74, otherwise known in Japan as the（ななよんしきせんしゃ）７４式戦車、was built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to replace the Type 61. Its crew consisted of four people. In addition, its armament consisted of three weapons, the 105mm main gun, a 12.7 mm machine gun, and a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun. Its maximum speed was around 53 k.p.h and was able to withstand a cruising range of 300 kilometers. The first prototype of the Type 74 was designated the STB-1. The auto loader developed for the STB-1 proved to be too complicated and expensive and was removed along with the remote controlled anti-aircraft machine gun. The turret was also changed, becoming longer. All these changes resulted in the STB-3. The final prototype designated the STB-6 and production finally started as the Type 74.
Type 96 wheeled armored vehicle
The Type 96 Wheeled Armored Vehicle, otherwise known as the （きゅうろくそうりんそうこうしゃ）９６式装輪装甲車、is an armored vehicle that entered service with Japan in 1995. As of 2012, 346 of the vehicles were produced by Komatsu Limited. Weighting in about 14.5 tons and outfitted with a main armament of one Type 96 40mm Automatic grenade launcher or one 12.7mm M2HB machine gun. Its speed rounds in at about 100 k.p.h and has an operational range of 500 kilometers. The crew consisted of two people with accommodations for 8 others. The driver would sit on the right side of the vehicle with the engine to his left. His position is outfitted with three periscopes with the center having the option for a replaceable passive night vision periscope. The passenger compartment has room for 8 infantry men with two firing ports on each side of the vehicle.
Type 89 armored combat vehicle
The Type 89 armored combat vehicle or （はちひゅうしきそうこうせんとうしゃ）８９式装甲戦闘車、is an Infantry Fighting Vehicle developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Komatsu Limited, however, the primary contractor for the project was Mitsubishi, with the main subcontractor being Komatsu Limited. This vehicle could achieve speeds of around 70 k.p.h with an operation range of around 400 kilometers with its weight of 26.5 tons. It had a crew of 3 with arrangements for 7 other passengers. Its main armament consisted of a 35mm KDE cannon with a secondary armament of a Type 74 7.62mm coaxial machine gun and two Type 79 Jyu-MAT missile launchers. As of 2014, the number of these IFVs built is 120.
Type 87 self-propelled antiaircraft gun
The Type 87 self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, also known as the（はちななしきじそうこうしゃきかんほう） ８７式自走高射機関砲、is a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun built around the Oerlikon 35 mm twin cannon system used on the Gepard tank. It is manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries with a total number of 52 being built as of 2012. This vehicle could get to speeds of around 53 k/p/h with a weight of 38 tons within its operation range of 300 kilometers. Development began in 1987 with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries providing the chassis and Japan Steel Works providing the cannon system. It is referred to by some members of the JGSDF as Guntank, after the similar looking mobile suit in the Mobile Suit Gundam series. This particular vehicle consists of a crew of three people. Armaments include its two 35mm KDA auto cannon.
Type 94 beach minelayer vehicle
This amphibious vehicle known as the （じゅうよんしきすいさいじらいふせつそうち）９４式水際地雷敷設装値。I honestly wasn’t able to find out much about this specific vehicle at the base, so I’ll just share the information found on the plaque in front of it. Its crew consists of three people and has a weight of about 16 tons. Its length is 11.8 meters and its width is 2.8 meters on ground and 4.0 meters at sea. This vehicle has a height of 3.5 meters and its maximum speed on ground is 50 k.p.h and 11 k.p.h at sea.
Middle Range Multi-Purpose Missile
This is an anti-tank/landing craft missile guidance system used by the JGSDF. Its Japanese name is（ちゅうきょりたもくてきゆうどうだん）中距離多目的誘導弾。This particular weapon was designed by JGSDF Ground Research and Development Command:GRD and manufactured at Kawasaki Heavy Industries. This weapon implements a Semi-Active Laser Homing and Imaging Infrared system, which guides the missiles. The Middle Range Multi-Purpose Missile, also known as the （ちゅうMPM）中MPM, is a smaller scale and less expensive than the Type 96 MPMS.
Type 75 155mm howitzer
This vehicle, known as the Type 75 155mm self-propelled howitzer, （ななごしきじそう１５５ｍｍりゅうだんほう）７５式走１５５ｍｍりゅう弾砲 in japan, shares a number of automotive parts with the Type-74 which was developed around the same time. The chassis was developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, while the turret and howitzer were designed by Japan Steel Works. This vehicles crew consisted of six people and its armament was one 155mm L30 howitzer and one 12.7mm M2HB machine gun. It can achieve speeds up to around 47 k.p.h and its operation range was about 300 kilometers. As of 2001, Japan reported that 201 Type-75s were currently in service and are, in fact, still in use today.
Keisoukou-Kidousya LAV
This Light Armored Vehicle is known as the （けいそうこうきどうしゃ） 軽装甲機動車。 Similar to the Type-94 mine layer, I couldn’t find out much about this one either, so here is its plaque information. It housed a crew of four and weighed in at about 4.5 tons with a maximum speed of 100 k.p.h. Its length is 4.2 meters with a width of 2.0 meters and a height of 1.8 meters.
Type 10 tank
The type-10 tank, otherwise known as the （ひとまるしきせんしゃ） １０式戦車、is the fourth main battle tank that the JGSDF has been equipped with. Manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, this tank can achieve speeds up to 70 k.p.h forwards as well as backwards albeit weighting in at around 43.3 tons. This tanks weapons consist of its 120mm L44 smoothbore cannon that is built by Japan Steel Works, an M2HB 12.7mm machine gun, and a Type 74 7.62mm machine gun. This tanks crew consists of three people. As of 2010 there were only 13 in existence, however, through 2011-2015, an estimated 68 tanks are predicted to exist.
Type 90 tank
The Type 90 tank, also known as the （きゅうまるしきせんしゃ） ９０式戦車、was the main battle tank of the JGSDF as of 2011 and was developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries with 341 being produced. This tank weighed in at around 50.2 tons and had a crew of three people. The weaponry on this tank consisted of a Rheinmetall 120mm smoothbore gun with an auto loader, followed by an M2HB 12.7mm machine gun in addition to a 7.62 Type-74 machine gun. This tank had a speed of 70 k.p.h and an operation range of about 350 kilometers. The Type 90 mounts a licensed copy of the German Rheinmetall L44 120 mm smoothbore cannon product by Japan Steel Works Limited. This is the same gun that is mounted on the German Leopard 2, American Abrams, and the South Korean K1A1 tanks. Before Rheinmetall’s gun was selected, Japan has successfully produced a domestic version of the 120 mm smoothbore for testing, but the lower cost of the Rheinmetall’s gave it an advantage over the domestic version.
Type 74 105mm howitzer
This self-propelled howitzer known as the （ななよんしきじそう１０５ｍｍりゅうだんほう） ７４式自走１０５ｍｍりゅう弾砲、was developed by Komatsu Limited and Japan Steel Works, Komatsu Limited supplying the chassis while Japan Steel Works supplied the turret and howitzer. As of 2001, 20 of these vehicles were reported to have been produced. This vehicles speed is around 50 k.p.h and weights in around at 16.5 tons. The crew consisted of four people and its armaments consisted of one 105mm JSW howitzer and one 12.7mm M-2HB machinegun. This vehicle is amphibious when using an erectable floatation screen that was stored around the periphery of the upper hull. This vehicle is also fitted with an NBC filtration system.
Awesome
cool, it would be nice to play them in AW.
i hope for that too. dat type 10 japan transformer-like
Dat type 10…what a sexy beast :D
Type 10 sexy? Weirdo! :D
I masturbate to tanks on regular basis
I agree so much with you!
Look at this gun, and this armor! Also the 70km/h backward is really good.
i second this, that tanks looks beautiful and very streamlined compared to western counterparts, look at that super wide turret!, and the slopes!, it looks like a sports tank!.
Type 74, the sexiest tank in the world! Kawai!
Leopard 1.
Agreed. That Type 74 would make me wanna divorce my Pershing and marry it instead. Perhaps we could have a extra-marital affair so I can have both?
Technically it’s already in the game. The first prototype was the STB-1, the tier 10 medium tank (and for the moment the only tier 10 tank of any type) on the Japanese tree.
Respect to the museum. All Tanks look like brand new. If you look at other museum here and see how to deal with their exposition pieces and let them perish. The times should all take a lesson from the Japanese.
I’ve noticed the same – all vehicles in perfect state (at least visually).
LOL was going to say the same as well looks like they take great care looking after them
i was about to write exactly the same.
They look like they just rolled out of the factory!, incredible cleanliness, look at the tracks and track links, not a spec of dust, grit, nothing!, not even n the cracks, windshields, nothing!, you could eat of the surface of those tanks!, and they’re in the outside even!.
if they where to show you the pictures without any caption you would think they’re part of a parade or active vehicles!
Now compare it to western museums and big famous ones that have tanks stored inside:
full of dirt, grit, spider webs, they look worn and old. for example:
kubinka all tanks are covered in dirt, they look repainted over and over, they might clean it every once in a while but it’s dirty
Been to Aberdeen, before it moved to Kansas or something? Absolutely criminal what they’re doing to those vehicles. They have some really rare stuff, old prewar Japanese tanks, a Jagdtiger, the only Panzer IV Hydro, and the rust has long finished with their paint and is eating right into the armor now. They had an Elefant, which they cosmetically restored, but the inside is still home to the infamous Tank Rust Spider
If you keep showing me sexy modern MBTs, I’ll leave WoT and join Armored Warfare. So, SS, if I quit WoT, the blame is on you. Sexy! I want my STB-1 faster! (STA-1 for now)
STB-1 look nice but the problem is with aimtime and aim itself .. it’s horrible .. if STA-1 has best aim while driving the STB-1 has the worst..
the problem is wot horrible arcade balancing/implementation of any tank, period
They have to balance it. if they didn’t you’d have problems like the one in WT where the T-50 is mass destroying everything it meets. almost the same armour as t34, a lot faster, a decent gun, and ZOOM ZOOM BOOM BOOM OP OP!!!!!
what “problem”?, i dont se any problem with a superior tank wreaking havoc…, tanks need to be modeled 100% realistically, if a tank is superior in all aspect, well… tough luck, that’s life.
tanks don’t need to be BALANCED, they need to be reproduced 100% faithfully in digital form.
the only “balance” allowed is an “MM equivalence” so that it faces similar oponents
to think that i would actually see Gundam references in FTR… yay~
My in-game name is a Gundam Reference…
My ign contains the word guntank itself.
You are now my new best friend!
yeah that’s so awesome!, the guntank thehehe
Only in Japan will their armed forces name something so geeky, I love it
Oh and just to point it out, the place’s full name is the Rikujōjieitai Kōhō Center (陸上自衛隊広報センター). Which translates into “Ground Self Defense Force Information Center.
Hmm… It’s pretty nice, the vehicles are clean and looking like they’re ready to fire up their engines, but considering the fact that they didn’t have an actual army until ’60s, their equipment must not be old…
By the way, Japan has created an actual Ministry of Defence in 2006, so this makes JSDF a full-fledged army… Right?
amirite?
I think they are still holding on to the “no army, only Self Defence Force” routine. A Ministry of Defence still fits in with the old routine name and does not imply army.
All that equipment really looks like as if it has come there straight off the production lines.
Yes and no. It was in 2007 that they change the old ‘Defense Agency’ into the ‘Minister of Defense’. It’s not really the same.
Since Abe became Prime Minister he wanted to have back a real army. The probelm, and that’s a polemic in Japan, is that he can’t really do that because of the 9th article of the Constitution.
‘To accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.’
Well, when you see the countries near Japan (China & N.Korea) you can understand why Abe want to get a real army. It’s not only to have men, but to be able to defend (attack :), IIRC a specialist said that Japan would need 3 days to defense mobilization… Just imagine how bad it is.
Well, anyway sorry for the long post.
well looks very impressive to say the least but being “made in japan” as they say…..how often do they break down? :)
You confusing it with China.
Japanese military stuff mostly working fine, in par on their western counterpart (not used that often also helps).
But they cost MORE than your average western armament. I heard either Type 90 or 10 cost more than M1 Abrams.
that’s probably because of manufacturing scale(economy of scale) and raw materials costs…
japan must practically import all ore and it doesnt has a portion of the smelting capacity of the US or europe, and you must even consider that they need to smelt special alloys even so that’s a portion of an already small portion….
Yep. And also because the budget for the Defense isn’t really high. ‘Only’ 1% of the GNP. The problem is that they don’t give a lot in R&D, creating tools is expensive and you need R&D to to reduce costs (i.e using new materials cheaper).
Also until April 1st, 2014(!) they could not export weapons and military hardware outside Japan.Now they can but not all what they want: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/02/world/asia/japan-ends-half-century-ban-on-weapons-exports.html?_r=0
Of course, the Type 10 more expensive than other western because this tank was produced on 2010. Type 10 might better than M1 Abrams. Both forward and reverse is 70 k/hr, because of the type of suspension that Type 10 used, Hydropneumatic Active suspension.
Firing the main armament while reversing. See here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUJ9DWeWGXU
I last remembered that Japan spends nearly 1% of their GDP on the military. Their military is small, and very professional. They create weapons that can, if needed, intermix with our supplies, but at the same time can depend on their own if we have to bugger out. They don’t rush headlong into something, but constantly test it. Their tanks are built for their terrain, and their specifications, and no, they won’t break down.
Hell, American vehicles probably spend more time in the motor pool from breakages than theirs would, and they run theirs as hard as we do in training.
That’s like… A 1950′s stereotype of Japan.
Japanese things are quite high-quality. the JSDF are very well trained and professional.
the made in japan thing hasn’t applied since the 50′s, it takes a while to build up after being wrecked and long lists of conditions imposed on you. “how often do they break down? :)” what rock have you been living under that you’ve never heard of Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Sony, etc, etc?
Type 90 displays they STILL hadn’t passed Trigonometry. Even composites benefit from angles (the lie that they don’t is just that, a lie). Fortunately they fixed that.
Rheinmetall L44? Are you trolling me? All the real tank powers using that 120mm gun series are at L55 already, see the newer Leopard 2 and M1 Abrams models
So the Type 75 155 mm SPG is based on the Type 74 chassis (which the STB-1 was the first prototype for)…anyone else seeing this as a potential tier 10 vehicle? Personally, I could see a couple of roles for it, either as a tier 10 SPG, or, if AP shells exist for the gun, as a tank destroyer.
In the SPG role, since its gun is smaller than the guns of the other tier 10 SPGs, I would imagine it to have a better ROF than most. Mobility would be decent as well, as it’s built on an MBT chassis.
In the TD role, what I imagine is something like a Dicker Max on Steroids (hell, it even LOOKS like a Dicker Max or Sturer Emil but with a bigger gun), making it poorly armored but with a decent gun and ROF.
Dem Japs.
Look at all those immaculate tanks and how well maintained they look.
Now this is how other tank museums should keep the tanks preserved…