For Reconnaissance In Force
Gathering information on your adversary is vital for any military and sometimes it require methods that are far from being subtle. This is known as “reconnaissance in force” which is basically making contact with the enemy to test their strength.
Since this tactic is a limited offensive operation, the forces involved will employ armored vehicles with the right amount of firepower and mobility. And for Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF), the Type 87 Reconnaissance Combat Vehicle, or RCV in short, is deemed as the right vehicle for the job.
- General Overview
| Mass | 15 tons (standard) |
| Length | 5.99m (19.65ft) |
| Width | 2.48m (8.14ft) |
| Height | 2.8m (9.2ft) |
| Crew | 5 people |
| Maximum Speed | 100km/h (62mph) |
| Operational Range | 500km/310miles |
| Armament | 25mm cannon 7.62 machine gun |
| Unit Price | 4 million USD |
JGSDF long relied on motorcycles and small trucks for scout missions, but these lacked the firepower and protection for any reconnaissance-in-force while other armored scout vehicles were obsolete hand-me-downs from the US Army.
Amidst this predicament, Japan’s infrastructure saw rapid development throughout the 1970s〜80s, leading to a nationwide expansion of its road network.
Witnessing the dramatic improvement in road quality, the concept of a wheeled reconnaissance combat vehicle emerged, eventually giving birth to the Type 87 RCV.
The Type 87 RCV can perform a maximum on-road speed of 100 km/h or 62mph and the six large tires are capable of withstanding gunfire. It can also switch between four-wheel drive (4WD) for urban areas and six-wheel drive (6WD) which is suitable for off-road terrain.
The main armament, a 25mm machine gun with an effective range of 3km/1.86 miles, can inflict more than enough damage against non-armored vehicles and deliver limited firepower for units without tank support.
Depending on the situation, the crew will take a 84mm recoilless rifle (a.k.a. Carl Gustav) on board to enhance firepower.
The entire vehicle is armored with ballistic steel plates that can withstand rifle bullets and shell fragments, significantly improving protection for JGSDF scout units.
The Type 87 RCV has a crew of five people – the commander, driver, gunner, and two scouts. The latter two utilize reconnaissance equipment such as ground radar, night vision devices, periscopes, and optical cameras which can all be operated without leaving the vehicle.
No Successor?
The Type 87 RCV has seen a total of 113 units produced and continues to be used by reconnaissance units nationwide.
Although it has become somewhat obsolete, the Type 87 RCV is to remain in service for the foreseeable future since there are no specific plans for developing a successor. There was an idea to create a scout variant of the Close Combat Vehicle, a planned successor to the Type 89 Infantry Fighting Vehicle, but the entire concept ended with research only and no further development.
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