The is a Japanese fourth generation

main battle tank A main battle tank (MBT), also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the role of armor-protected direct fire and maneuver in many modern armies. Cold War-era development of more powerful engines, better suspension s ...

produced by

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is a Japanese multinational engineering, electrical equipment and electronics corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. MHI is one of the core companies of the Mitsubishi Group and its automobile division is the predecessor of Mitsubishi Moto ...

for the

Japanese Ground Self Defense Force The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force ( ja, 陸上自衛隊, Rikujō Jieitai), , also referred to as the Japanese Army, is the land warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Created on July 1, 1954, it is the largest of the three service b ...

. It entered service in 2012. Compared with other currently-serving main battle tanks in the JGSDF, the Type 10 is better equipped to deal with

anti-tank weapons Anti-tank warfare originated from the need to develop technology and tactics to destroy tanks during World War I. Since the Triple Entente deployed the first tanks in 1916, the German Empire developed the first anti-tank weapons. The first deve ...

Overview

The Type 10 started as the TK-X (MBT-X) project, intended to complement and eventually replace the

Type 74 The is a main battle tank (MBT) of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF). It was built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries as a supplement to the earlier Type 61. It was based on the best features of a number of contemporary designs, placing ...

and Type 90 tanks in service with the JGSDF. Development began in the 1990s, and production started in 2010–2011. A prototype was revealed on February 13, 2008 at the Technology Research and Development Institute (TRDI) in Sagamihara, Japan. Emphasis was placed on the design's command and control capabilities.

Design

Development history

In the early 2000s, the JGSDF recognized a need to field a fourth generation tank in order to compete on a modern battlefield. C4I (Command, Control, Communication, Computing and Intelligence) capability was considered a high priority in designing the Type 10. A Ministry of Defense assessment found that C4I upgrades to existing Type 74 and Type 90 tanks were not feasible, primarily due to a lack of internal space. Thus, development of a completely novel main battle tank was deemed necessary.

Armor

The use of

modular Broadly speaking, modularity is the degree to which a system's components may be separated and recombined, often with the benefit of flexibility and variety in use. The concept of modularity is used primarily to reduce complexity by breaking a s ...

components significantly improves the side armor compared to the Type 90. The commander's panoramic sight was moved to the right, and is mounted higher compared to the Type 90, giving the commander a wider

field of view The field of view (FoV) is the extent of the observable world that is seen at any given moment. In the case of optical instruments or sensors it is a solid angle through which a detector is sensitive to electromagnetic radiation. Humans a ...

. The vehicle's armor consists of removable sections, allowing operators to balance weight and protection depending on the mission profile. The Type 10 weighs in its base configuration, in standard configuration, and fully loaded. The prototype featured in 2008 at TRDI weighed 44 tonnes. The Type 10 weighs less than its predecessor, the Type 90. The composite armor weight was increased, however, from for the turret, and from for the hull. In a penetration resistance test,

APFSDS Armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS), long dart penetrator, or simply dart ammunition, is a type of kinetic energy penetrator ammunition used to attack modern vehicle armour. As an armament for main battle tanks, it succeeds ...

rounds were fired at the hull from a distance of . Each armor module and

mantlet A mantlet was a portable wall or shelter used for stopping projectiles in medieval warfare. It could be mounted on a wheeled carriage, and protected one or several soldiers. In the First World War a mantlet type of device was used by the French ...

achieved the required performance specified in "Type 10 tank GV-Y120001E". Protection against 120mm

kinetic energy penetrators A kinetic energy penetrator (KEP), also known as long-rod penetrator (LRP), is a type of ammunition designed to penetrate vehicle armour using a flechette-like, high-sectional density projectile. Like a bullet or kinetic energy weapon, this type ...

is limited to the front of the hull, turret, and gun mantlet, with the exception of the lower

glacis A glacis (; ) in military engineering is an artificial slope as part of a medieval castle or in early modern fortresses. They may be constructed of earth as a temporary structure or of stone in more permanent structure. More generally, a glaci ...

. The top armor can effectively counter

explosively formed penetrator An explosively formed penetrator (EFP), also known as an explosively formed projectile (EFP), a self-forging warhead, or a self-forging fragment, is the product of a shaped charge designed to penetrate armor effectively. As the name suggests, the ...

s and related threats.

Electronics and mechanics

The Type 10 tank is equipped with a C4I system (command, control, communication, computer & intelligence) known as "10NW". This system integrates into the JGSDF network and enables real-time data sharing between tanks. It works alongside the Field Communication System (FiCS) and the Regiment Command Control System (ReCS). According to design documentation, the C4I system enables the following capabilities: *

Platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrol A patrol is commonly a group of personnel, such as Law enforcement officer, law enforcement officers, military personnel, or Security guard, secur ...

-level

automatic target recognition Automatic target recognition (ATR) is the ability for an algorithm or device to recognize targets or other objects based on data obtained from sensors. Target recognition was initially done by using an audible representation of the received signal ...

and target synchronization * Real-time commands from a

platoon leader {{unreferenced, date=February 2013 A platoon leader (NATO) or platoon commander (more common in Commonwealth militaries and the US Marine Corps) is the officer in charge of a platoon. This person is usually a junior officer – a second or first ...

* Real-time vehicle

telemetry Telemetry is the in situ collection of measurements or other data at remote points and their automatic transmission to receiving equipment (telecommunication) for monitoring. The word is derived from the Greek roots ''tele'', "remote", and ' ...

Fire control system A fire-control system (FCS) is a number of components working together, usually a gun data computer, a Director (military), director, and radar, which is designed to assist a ranged weapon system to target, track, and hit a target. It performs ...

integration * Daytime and night vision cameras mounted around the turret, providing 360° coverage The Type 10 also includes: * A

continuously variable transmission A continuously variable transmission (CVT) is an automatic transmission that can change seamlessly through a continuous range of gear ratios. This contrasts with other transmissions that provide a limited number of gear ratios in fixed steps. ...

(CVT) allowing the tank to reach in both forward and reverse * A faster

autoloader An autoloader or auto-loader is a mechanical aid or replacement for the personnel that load ordnance into crew-served weapons without being an integrated part of the gun itself. The term is generally only applied to larger weapons, such as na ...

allowing the main gun to fire every 3.5 seconds * A

hydropneumatic suspension Hydropneumatic suspension is a type of motor vehicle suspension system, designed by Paul Magès, invented by Citroën, and fitted to Citroën cars, as well as being used under licence by other car manufacturers, notably Rolls-Royce ( Silver Shad ...

system that provides improved recoil performance and chassis height adjustment

Armament

Whereas the Type 90 was equipped with the

Rheinmetall Rh-120 The Rheinmetall Rh-120 is a 120 mm smoothbore tank gun designed and produced in former West Germany by the Rheinmetal-DeTec AG company, it was developed in response to Soviet advances in armour technology and development of new armoured thr ...

smoothbore main gun (as on the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

Leopard 2 The Leopard 2 is a 3rd generation main battle tank originally developed by Krauss-Maffei in the 1970s for the West German army. The tank first entered service in 1979 and succeeded the earlier Leopard 1 as the main battle tank of the West G ...

), the Type 10 uses a novel 120mm gun developed by

Japan Steel Works is a steel manufacturer founded in Muroran, Hokkaidō, Japan in 1907. History Japan Steel Works was set up with investment from British firms Vickers, Armstrong Whitworth and Mitsui. During World War II, they manufactured what was then the ...

. The gun can fire the newly developed Type 10

round. It can also fire the JM33 APFSDS (a variant of the German DM33 shell, produced domestically under license) as well as 120mm NATO ammunition. The Type 10 holds 14 rounds in the autoloader, 2 behind the gunner, 6 rounds in the ready ammunition storage, and 14 in reserve, with a total of 36 rounds carried on board. The gunner has access to a

coaxial machine gun A weapon mount is an assembly or mechanism used to hold a weapon (typically a gun) onto a platform in order for it to function at maximum capacity. Weapon mounts can be broken down into two categories: static mounts and non-static mounts. Stat ...

chambered in

7.62×51mm NATO The 7.62×51mm NATO (official NATO nomenclature 7.62 NATO) is a rimless, bottlenecked rifle cartridge. It is a standard for small arms among NATO countries. First developed in the 1950s, the cartridge had first been introduced in U.S. service ...

. The Type 74 is a heavier, vehicle-mounted variant of the

Sumitomo Type 62 The is the standard issue general-purpose machine gun of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, known as the Type 62 GPMG. When first issued it fulfilled both light and medium machine gun support throughout the JGSDF. Though the Sumitomo Heavy Industr ...

machine gun. A M2 Browning .50 caliber machine gun chambered in 12.7x99mm NATO is affixed to a pintle-mount on the roof, and can be crewed by the commander.

Strategic transportation

The predecessor of the Type 10, the Type 90, was deployed only in

Hokkaido is Japan, Japan's Japanese archipelago, second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost Prefectures of Japan, prefecture, making up its own List of regions of Japan, region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; th ...

due to road and bridge weight limitations in mainland Japan. For this reason, weight was a priority in design, as the Type 10 needed to be capable of deploying anywhere in Japan. Size and weight reductions made the Type 10 six tonnes lighter than the Type 90. Approximately 84% of bridges in Japan can accommodate the Type 10, compared to only 65% for the Type 90, and ~40% for other NATO tanks.

Development

The development costs as of 2008 are approximately . The projected cost per unit was approximately . The

Japanese Ministry of Defense The is an executive department of the Government of Japan responsible for preserving the peace and independence of Japan, and maintaining the country’s national security and the Japan Self-Defense Forces. The ministry is headed by the Min ...

formally acknowledged the Type 10 in December 2009. In 2010, the Japanese Ministry of Defense placed a order for thirteen Type 10 tanks. The Type 10 entered service in January 2012, with production continuing at a steady rate. As of 2020, there were 76 units in service, with plans to order 12 more that year.

Export attempt

On 4 January 2014, sources revealed that

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

was interested in signing a joint development deal of tank engines based on the Type 10's engine. The Type 10 tank boasts high mobility, including a backward movement speed of . The engine was to power the Turkish Altay tank. However, negotiations broke down, and the deal was "off the agenda" by March 2014. Provided reasons included Japan's stringent arms export ban laws, Turkey's intention to export the Altay themselves, and Japan's reluctance to license the engine.

Operators

; (129 purchased as of 2024 + 12 planned for 2025) : Purchases: :* 12 tanks with the 2025 budget request ( ¥ 23.1 billion) :* 10 tanks with the 2024 budget ( ¥ 16.6 billion) :* 8 tanks with the 2022 budget ( ¥ 8.3 billion) :* 12 tanks with the 2020 budget ( ¥ 15.6 billion) :* 6 tanks with the 2019 budget ( ¥ 8.1 billion) :* 5 tanks with the 2018 budget ( ¥ 7.3 billion) :* 6 tanks with the 2017 budget ( ¥ 7.5 billion) :* 6 tanks with the 2016 budget ( ¥ 6.1 billion) :* 10 tanks with the 2015 budget ( ¥ 10.2 billion) :* 13 tanks with the 2014 budget ( ¥ 13.4 billion) :* 14 tanks with the 2013 budget ( ¥ 13.9 billion) :* 13 tanks with the 2012 budget ( ¥ 13.2 billion) :* 13 tanks with the 2011 budget ( ¥ 13.2 billion) :* 13 tanks with the 2010 budget ( ¥ 12.4 billion)

Gallery

File:Type 10 tank displayed on a practice day of Fuji Firepower Review 2010, -26 Aug. 2010 b.jpg, 2010 prototype model File:Type 10 engine compartment.JPG, Rear view of the prototype File:JGSDF Type10 tank 20120527-11.JPG, Production model File:Type 10 tank .50 cal.jpg, Side closeup of turret showing M2 Browning .50 caliber and smoke launchers File:JGSDF Type10 tank 20120527-12.JPG, Front closeup of turret showing sensor package and M2 Browning .50 caliber File:JGSDF Type10 tank 20120527-17.JPG, A tanker in the commander's hatch File:23 03 095 富士総合火力演習・そうかえん 34.jpg, alt=A Type 10 leans forward on its suspension as it decelerates, Braking demonstration File:JGSDF Type10 tank 20120527-02.JPG, Type 90 (left) and Type 10 (right) File:Japanese Type10 and Type74 Tanks.JPG, Type 74 (left) and Type 10 (right) File:JGSDF Type 10 tank breaks.jpg, alt=A Type 10 leans forward on its suspension as it decelerates, Braking demonstration during exercise File:JGSDF Type 10 tank front view.jpg, Front view File:Prototype Type 10 (JGSDF Public Information Center).jpg, Prototype on display

References

Bibliography

* * * *

External links

Development report of JSDF New tank (Japanese) 1
– Japanese Ministry of Defense.
Development report of JSDF New tank (Japanese) 2
– Japanese Ministry of Defense.
Development report of JSDF New tank (Japanese) 3
– Japanese Ministry of Defense.

– Japanese Ministry of Defense TRDI.
TRDI Official Photos of Type 10 tank #1

TRDI Official Video of TK-X tank
* ( Car Watch) * {{ModernJapaneseAFVs Main battle tanks of Japan Post–Cold War main battle tanks Mitsubishi Heavy Industries armored vehicles Tanks with autoloaders Military vehicles introduced in the 2010s Fourth-generation main battle tanks