What Does Japan’s Type 10 Snowcat Vehicle Do?

For Over-Snow Transport

The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) is tasked with the responsibility of protecting the Japanese Archipelago which stretches over 3,000km/1,870 miles north to south.

With such geographical condition, Japan has quite a diverse climate and some JGSDF units are issued with equipment necessary to operate in particular environments.

One such example is the snowcat (over-snow vehicle) operated by units in Hokkaido and the coastal areas along the Sea of Japan.

These regions are known to experience heavy snowfall, sometimes accumulating up to several meters or more than ten feet in just a night. Therefore, units stationed in these areas require special snow vehicles to move around personnel and equipment.

The JGSDF has a long history of operating snowcat vehicles since they are indispensable in conducting outdoor training during the winter time.

Each JGSDF base will typically have a designated field for live-fire exercises, but regions prone to heavy snow will see these training grounds buried in deep snow, making any activity extremely challenging.

Type 10 snowcat (photo: JGSDF)

Snowcats can serve as a basic transportation method capable of traversing snowfields without sinking thanks to their unique caterpillar designs.

Unlike tanks, the tracks of snowcats are made of reinforced plastic materials to add more friction and prevent skidding.  Spikes are also embedded in parts that make contact with the ground, ensuring safety on slippery, frozen roads.

These innovations are brought by a single company in Niigata Prefecture, a region famous for its intense snowfall, and JGSDF has been solely relying on this firm for its procurement of snowcats.

The vehicles have a reputation of being exceptionally reliable and durable, requiring minimal maintenance. For example, JGSDF’s snowcats barely has any difficulty in starting the engine during a cold winter morning and can be left untouched during the summer time.

Type 10 : Compact, Automated

As tough versatile vehicles, snowcats are used for transporting food, ammunition, and equipment during winter training exercises, but can also tow soldiers traveling on skis.

While JGSDF continues to use the older Type 78 snowcat, which over 500 units were produced, they are gradually shifting to the latest Type 10.

• General Overview 

Despite the reduced crew size of ten members from the Type 78’s capacity of twelve, the Type 10 snowcat is more compact and can be mounted on trucks instead of large transporters, making long-distance deployment easier.

Another improvement is the change to automatic transmission. This was obviously driven by the increasing number of young personnel who are only accustomed to driving automatic vehicles instead of stick-shift cars.