Type 90
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- For other articles with similar titles see Type 90 (disambiguation)
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| Type 90 | |
|---|---|
| General characteristics | |
| Crew | 3 |
| Length | 9.755 m |
| Width | 3.33 m |
| Height | 2.33 m |
| Weight | 50.2 tonnes |
| Armour and armament | |
| Armour | [secret] |
| Main armament | 120mm smoothbore gun
35 rounds |
| Secondary armament | M2HB 12.7mm machine gun 1,500 rounds |
| Mobility | |
| Power plant | Mitsubishi 10ZG 10 cylinder, Two stroke cycle
Diesel 21500cc |
| Suspension | hydropneumatic |
| Road speed | 70 km/h
[Acceleration 0-200m/20s] |
| Power/weight | 30 hp/tonne |
| Range | 350 km [Fuel 1100L] |
The Type 90 is the current main battle tank (MBT) of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF). It is built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and was designed as a replacement for all deployed Type 61s and a portion of their Type 74 tanks.
Contents |
[edit] Manufacturing cost
The Type 90 has a per unit cost, approximated to 790,000,000 Japanese Yen [1]. At current currency exchange rates as of 2006, this is equivalent to approximately $6,600,000 US.
[edit] History
After the adoption of the Type 74, the Japanese High Command was already looking for a superior, completely indigenous tank design to defeat the Soviet T-72. As a result, development of a prototype, the TK-X MBT began in 1982.
Testing, improvements, and designs were modified and constructed until 1989 when Japan formally acknowledged the Type-90 in 1990.
[edit] Armour
The profile of the Type 90 is similar to a German Leopard 2 without any additional upgrading. It was designed with a distinctive low-slung turret with boxy, vertical sides and a long overhanging bustle. Regardless, the Type 90 is smaller than all of the Western main battle tanks with a height of 2.33 meters, a width of 3.33 meters, and weighing in at 50.2 tonnes. Compare that to the dimensions of the German Leopard 2A4: 2.48m x 3.70 m, weighing 55.2 tonnes.
The 90 sports the standard ceramic composite armour common in contemporary tank design, and is tested to be effective against its own 120-mm APFSDS smoothbore at the front armor, and is effective up to 35 mm APDS projectiles at the side armor.
[edit] Armament
The Type 90 carries a licensed copy of the Rheinmetall L44 120-mm smoothbore. This is the same gun that is mounted on the American M1 Abrams and European Leopard 2 tanks. Therefore, it is capable of chambering both APFSDS and HEAT ammunition in a combined magazine.
Before Rheinmetall's gun was selected, Japan successfully produced a domestic version of the 120-mm smoothbore, but the lower cost of the L44 gave it a substantial advantage over the domestic version. There are many installed upgrades to the fire-control system which increase the Type 90's effectiveness:
- Yttrium-Aluminium-Garnet LASER range-finder,
- 32-bit ballistics-analysis computers,
- Automated-tracking systems, and a
- Stabilized gunner's platform.
These upgrades allow the Type 90 to fire at moving and stationary targets, in day or night maneuvers, while the Type 90 is standing still or in motion.
The commander's sight specification is as follows;
- Zoom: 3x / 10x (day only)
- Vertical scan angle (the amount of angle which the optics can move up and down): +/- 29˚
- Horizontal scan angle (the amount of angle which the optics can turn): +/- 90˚ (180˚ total)
- Gunner's alternate sight zoom: 8x
The Yttrium-Aluminium-Garnet LASER range-finder's specification is as follows;
- Range: 300 ~ 5,000 m
- Daytime magnification: 1x / 10x
- Nighttime magnification: 3x / 10x
The gun is armed and loaded through a mechanical autoloader, also developed by Mitsubishi of Japan. This design allows the tank crew to operate with one less crewman (a requirement, given the smaller dimensions of the crew compartment). Unfortunately, what the autoloader saves in space, it loses in consistency and speed when deployed in ground vehicles. By implementing an autoloader, the Type 90 follows the same pattern as Soviet T-64s, T-72s, and T-80s (including their Russian and Ukrainian descendants), French Leclerc, as well as the Swedish Stridsvagn 103 tank destroyer.
Mounted in front of the gunner's hatch atop the turret is the ubiquitous Browning M2 machine gun, manufactured under license by Sumitomo Heavy Industries, part of the Sumitomo Group. In addition to the .50-caliber machine gun is a Japanese-built 7.62 mm machine gun mounted coaxially to the left of the main gun.
[edit] Powerplant and drivetrain
The Type 90 is powered by a two-stroke, 10-cylinder diesel manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (designated 10ZG32WT). It can attain a top output of 1,120 kW (or approximately 1500 horsepower) and accelerates from zero to 200 meters in approximately 20 seconds.
The hydropneumatic suspension units are mounted on the front and rear pair of road wheels, which can be adjusted on-the-fly to uneven terrain, a requirement on Japan's rough, mountainous terrain.
[edit] External links
- Type 90 tank at the Federation of American Scientists
- Main Battle Tank Type 90 at ArmsWorld
- Type 90 Tank at Globalsecurity.org
- Type 90 Main Battle Tank at Historyofwar
- Official unit cost data of Type 90 Main Battle Tank at Japan Defense Agency pdf file
- 120 mm L44 Tank Gun at Rheinmetall AG
 Ariete |  Arjun |  Challenger 2 |  Ch'onma-ho |  K1 | K2 Black Panther |  Leclerc |  Leopard 2 |  M1 Abrams |  / MBT 2000 M-84 |  Merkava |  PT-91 Twardy |  T-80 |  T-84 |  T-90 |  Type 90 | Type 96 | Type 99 | Zulfigar |
