The Japan Floor Self-Protection Pressure (JGSDF) plans to buy roughly 250 Kind 16 Manoeuvre Fight Autos (MCVs). In response to the MoD’s Protection Packages and Finances of Japan 2022 doc, the Japan’s Ministry of Protection (MoD) plans to amass 33 Kind 16 MCVs for JPY23.4 billion (USD190.9 million) in 2022. Below the fiscal 12 months (FY) 2021 budgetary doc, the MoD plans to induct 22 Kind 16s value JPY15.8 billion, and below the FY 2020 budgetary doc, the JGSDF will induct 33 Kind 16 MCVs value JPY27.3 billion. Japan’s Acquisition, Know-how & Logistics Company (ATLA) informed Janes on the DSEI Japan 2023 exhibition that the JGSDF has ordered and brought supply of about 100 MCVs and orders for 150 further automobiles – together with variants – are anticipated within the subsequent few years.
The Kind 16 Maneuver Fight Automobile (Hitoroku shiki kido sentosha, MCV) is a wheeled armored preventing automobile developed and manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for the JGSDF. The Kind 16 equips designated fight items. Because of its gentle weight and small dimension, it’s designed for simple deployment by Kawasaki C-2 airlifter if wanted permitting fast motion on slender roads and in built-up areas in response to varied contingencies. The MCV will also be transported on numerous ships to take care of conditions equivalent to island defence shortly earlier than opposing forces can arrange. The Kind 16 can carry out high-speed highway manoeuvres. This automobile is appropriate for fast manoeuvring in Japan, the place the highway community is well-developed. Regardless of its small dimension and light-weight armor, it may well efficiently assault a lot bigger armored preventing automobiles in addition to personnel, utilizing its giant caliber gun.
Commercial
In idea the Kind 16 is much like Italian Centauro. The principle position of this automobile is to supply direct fireplace assist for infantry items. This hearth assist automobile just isn’t primarily based on any current armored personnel service. The Japanese Kind 16 is armed with a 105 mm rifled gun. It’s suitable with normal NATO 105 mm ammunition. There’s a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun and a roof-mounted 12.7 mm heavy machine gun. The Kind 16 is powered by turbocharged diesel engine, growing 570 hp. Powerpack is positioned on the entrance of the hull. Automobile is fitted with a central tyre inflation system. Tyre stress may be adjusted to extend mobility over numerous off-road terrain. The Kind 16 additionally options Horstman’s Hydrostrut(r) suspension.
The Kind 16 was a part of a brand new armored automobile technique that prioritized gentle air-transportable firepower. Initially the variety of major battle tanks was to be lowered from 760 to 390, with most remaining tanks to be focused on the principle Japanese islands of Hokkaido and Kyushu. Some 200–300 MCVs had been to be procured and these could be airlifted to islands when and the place they had been wanted. The concept was that the smaller, lighter, and quicker MCV could possibly be redeployed faster than tanks to raised defend the outlying islands. This represented a shift in Japanese armored automobile construction from one designed to repel a Soviet invasion from the north to a extra cell drive geared toward presumably defending in opposition to a Chinese language invasion of the southern island chain.
