This was also one of the required features of Type 16, to be as cheap as possible. The total cost of the development, revealed by the Japanese MOD, was 17.9 Billion Yen (183 Million US Dollars), with each vehicle projected to cost ¥735 Million Yen (Approx. usually produces the Japanese Military’s wheeled vehicles – APCs, carriers – but the contract was given to Mitsubishi as the company has more experience building tanks and vehicles. The MCV is to built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. They took part in various live fire and combat condition training exercises until 2015.įollowing these tests, Type 16 was approved and orders placed for 200-300 vehicles with the aim of getting them into deployment circulation by 2016. Test 4, 2014: The four prototypes were put through their paces by the JGSDF. A small trial production run of four vehicles started, with the first of the vehicles unveiled to the media on the 9th of October 2013. Test 3, 2012: Alterations made to the turret, gun mounting, and chassis. The turret was also introduced to begin evaluation of the 2 components together. The engine and transmission were also introduced onto the chassis. Test 2, 2011: Gunnery systems were added to the turret such as the Fire Control System (FCS), aiming devices, and traverse motors. The chassis – without engine and transmission – was put through various stress tests. The turret was mounted on a platform for firing tests. Test 1, 2009: This tested the turret and chassis separately from each other. A series of four tests began following this.

Work on the first prototype began in 2008. The Type 16 project began life in 2007-08 and was led by the Technical Research & Development Institute of Japan’s Ministry of Defense. It can traverse tight rural trails and heavily built up city blocks with ease, or even be air transported for island defense if necessary. As such, it is far more flexible in its deployment options. In 2011, this changed to ‘Maneuver/Mobile Combat Vehicle’.Ĭlassed as a wheeled tank destroyer, the Type 16 is much lighter and faster than the Japanese Ground Self Defence Force’s tanks.

The MCV originally stood for ‘Mobile Combat Vehicle’. The Type 16 MCV (Japanese: – 16式機動戦闘車 Hitoroku-shiki kidou-sentou-sha) is one of the Japanese military’s latest developments.

Japanese tanks modern 2017