How Strong Is Japan’s Type 10 Main Battle Tank?

Light, But Well-Protected

The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF, a.k.a Japan’s de-facto army) currently operates around 540 main battle tanks. Among these is the latest “Type 10” which came out in 2010 as post-war Japan’s fourth generation of domestically produced tanks.

Developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, each Type 10 costs about 8〜10 million US dollars, making it one of the most expensive tanks in the world.

• General Overview

The most notable feature of the tank is its significantly light weight as an MBT, with a total of only 44 tons. For comparison, the US military’s M1 Abrams weighs around 60 tons and the JGSDF’s previous Type 90 tank is just over 50 tons.

Despite being one of the best tanks Japan ever produced, the Type 90’s weight resulted in bridge crossing restrictions, making it only possible to be stationed in Hokkaido, Japan’s northern and largest island.

Reflecting upon these lessons, the Type 10 achieved a 12% weight reduction from its predecessor without compromising protective capabilities by incorporating new carbon fiber and ceramics technology. Combined with enhanced steel, these new material has brought life to a composite armor that performed excellently during penetration resistance tests.

These tough but light armor enables the Type 10 tank to cross approximately 84% of the existing bridges throughout Japan whereas the Type 90 was limited to just 65%.

Furthermore, the tank adopted modular components, which not only improves the tank’s side armor, but also allows additional attachments for extra protection depending on the situation.

Highly Maneuverable

The vehicle itself has been downsized from the previous Type 90, giving it an advantage regarding cover and ambush tactics.  Although this downsizing brought a 20% decrease of onboard fuel capacity, improvements in fuel efficiency has left the operational range relatively unaltered.

While being rather small, the Type 10 tank can deliver quite a punch through its automatically loaded 120mm gun and advanced targeting system. The latest software and fire control system can automatically detect/identify targets, while stabilizing mechanisms guarantee accuracy targeting even when the tank is in motion.

A Type 10 firing rounds during exercise (photo credit: JGSDF)

With its lightweight nature and superior stabilization technology, the Type 10 performs outstanding mobility, particularly in terms of acceleration and reverse speed. As an example, it can accelerate to 30km/h(18.6mph)  in just 2.5 seconds and achieve a full-reverse speed of 70km/h (43.5mph).

This maneuverability, combined with high-precision targeting capabilities, allows the tank to demonstrate challenging techniques, such as “slalom shootings.”

Moreover, as the first Japanese tank to integrate the C4I System, the tank also facilitates smoother coordination with friendly units via real-time information sharing, thus shifting towards a more dynamic, network-centric warfare.