July 11, Japan 10-type main battle tanks (TK-X has been named the tank) in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force conducted a mobility Fuji school show. The main battle tank is a new generation of Japan’s GSDF armored combat platforms, this program small batch equipment 10. Japan Chaoyun news agency Web site (Japan Defense Agency and the SDF, a “asakumo” newspaper Web site) also has 10 tanks in the performance of some detailed interpretation that the smaller, lighter, and yet sophisticated.
Performance art and light tanks
10 tanks controlled by the members of the Group 3 luxury cars, body length 9.42 m, 2.3 m high, wide and 3.24 m, weight 44 tons, more than 90 tanks predecessors smaller, lighter. In the fire, the tank’s turret 10 is equipped with a 120-mm smoothbore gun, a M2HB type machine gun and one 12.7 mm 74 7.62 mm light machine guns. Turret is also equipped with “drivers with independent and observation tower”, this equipment can be directly captured enemy targets, and the screen showed the turret, the gunner need only one click Control Panel, you can hit the target. In addition, the tank also has the C4I (command, control, communications, computer and information integration) capabilities can be integrated into the command of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Network, with other tanks and other battlefield intelligence units to share.
Chaoyun News Agency published on the website photos show that 10 tank turret and the body shape better use of bullet-proof armor inclination, which is square-shaped turret 90 tanks in sharp contrast. According to Western media, the 10 tanks are also all over the high-tech armor, modular ceramic composite armor, “Nano – Crystal” plates and 10 light armored tank top was not only lightweight and sturdy enough to wear a “bullet-proof jacket.” Shows that, after decades of foreign advanced design of the reference and trial and error, the Japanese finally create a good performance out of a light car.
Can meet the “extraordinary threat”
Japan’s Ground Self-Defense had studied under the U.S. military, armored forces in building too. During the Cold War, the Japanese Defense Force is the main armored forces deployed in the northern region in preparation for the former Soviet Union, once a large-scale landing armored units, as a desperate last-ditch counterattack force.
After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, from the north, the pressure drop, but the Japanese former Soviet T-62, T-72 tanks and 90 research and development for the imaginary enemy has begun mass production of tanks and troops. Weight 50 tons of 90 tanks is not only expensive but also very limited upgrade potential, from the production has almost not been a big improvement. It is in this case, Japan was determined to develop a new tank, as the Defense Force, “fist equipment.”
In the 21st century, the Japanese began sending troops overseas to enhance the international influence, in order to achieve its great power aspirations. After the outbreak of the Iraq war, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces to the more stable areas in southern Iraq sent a force, which is only equipped with a number of “Komatsu” 4 × 4 wheeled light armored vehicles, this car is equipped with semi-open style turrets and 12.7 mm machine gun, suitable for low-intensity conflict in the patrol.
Although Japan eventually withdrew from Iraq, but the pace of troops overseas but not stop. Once the high risk involved in an unconventional war, there is likely to face roadside bombs and rocket-propelled grenades and other weapons of great power threat, but can not afford to deal with light wheeled vehicles, 90 tanks are too bulky and inconvenient transportation, then I am afraid To turn light weight, fire Meng 10 tanks had been deployed.
