Japan to buy 33 additional twenty-first-century tank destroyers at a cost of $218 million

[Kailash Kumar]

Japanese military to buy additional twenty-first-century tank destroyers

Dylan Malyasov

1 day ago

The Japanese Ministry of Defense will purchase an additional Type 16 Mobile Combat Systems, also known as a Japanese twenty-first-century tank destroyer, according to a document entitled Defense Programs and Budget of Japan, the 2020 version of which was published in late March.

The procurement of additional mobile combat vehicles suited for transportation by aircraft and other means will strengthen rapid deployment capabilities of the basic operational units (rapid deployment division and rapid deployment brigade), according to the Japanese Ministry of Defense.

The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force is requesting 33 Type 16 vehicles, according to budget documents. Japan’s government plans to spend $2.2 billion (¥23.7billion) to buy new Type-16 mobile combat vehicles. [edit: the number of $ 2.2 billion is probably incorrect. The amount is closer to $ 218 million, since other sources state that the unit cost is $6.6 million and 33 * 6.6 = 218]

The Type-16 is a modern Japanese combat vehicle designed for light to medium territorial defense and tactical reconnaissance. The main role of this vehicle is to provide direct fire support for infantry units. It can engage hostile armored vehicles, buildings and field fortifications.

The Maneuver Combat Vehicle (MCV) is intended to help re-equip existing divisions and brigades reorganised into mobile (rapid reaction) divisions/brigades, as well as equip new dedicated rapid reaction regiments alongside (eventually) the Light-weight Combat Vehicle System which was also designed with defense of the outer islands in mind.

Type 16 is armed with a 105 mm rifled gun. It is compatible with standard NATO 105 mm ammunition.

As The National Interest previously reported, the MCV’s 105-millimeter gun has a fifty-two-caliber rifled barrel and is derived from the famous British L7 gun used on the Centurion and Leopard I tank. A human loader loads hefts either kinetic Type 93 Armor Piercing Fin-Discarding Sabot Rounds for maximum penetrating power or dual-purpose Type 91 High-Explosive Anti-Tank rounds, which also work against soft targets. A 7.62-millimeter machine gun is mounted coaxially next to the cannon, while an M2 .50-caliber machinegun is perched on the turret for anti-aircraft defense.

https://defence-blog.com/army/japan...nal-twenty-first-century-tank-destroyers.html

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

33 tank destroyers for 2.2 billion? They made of gold?

 

[Philosopher]

The numbers do not add up. Clearly a typo in the article.

 

[Pax Ottomana]

My thoughts exactly. That's 67 MILLION a piece. That's ridiculous for essentially a wheeled APC with a tank-cannon on top.

And let's be frank. A modern tank can destroy this thing just as well as it can destroy a tank. Except a tank has actual tracks. a bigger cannon and a much better armor.

 

[Kailash Kumar]

33 tank destroyers for 2.2 billion? They made of gold?

I looked up the unit cost of a Type-16 tank destroyers and some sources say it is $ 61 million (33*61 = $ 2.0 billon) and others say it is $ 6.6 million (33 * 6.6 = $ 218 million).

I think that it is either a typo, wrong calculation / convertion from yen to dollars or wrong sources that were used or quoted.

I will change the title and the article with an edit note.

 

[CrazyZ]

Are gun based tank destroyers even relevant on the modern battlefield? Same thing can be accomplished by infantry with ATGM's plus they can hide from air/drone strikes more easily. Type 16 could be destroyed by an armed drone in no time.

 

[Beast]

Becos most Japanese military hardware are produced in small number but when you add in production line and the factory setup to maintenance it plus high cost of Japanese skill worker. Each unit will fold multiple times than counterpart from others which mass produced in hundreds unit.

 

[waz]

It was primarily for quick deployment i.e. it is easily transportable and fast on the ground.
I suppose it has a place as an addition to normal armour, but it is too thinly armoured and can only resist cannon fire.

 

[striver44]

$2.2 billion??? it's enough to add 3 or more Soryu class submarine to the MSDF, much more important

 

[Pax Ottomana]

Also, this thing gas a puny 105mm cannon on it. Most modern tanks carry 120mm cannons and are completely immune to 105mm. Hell, some tanks with reactive, addon composite armor, and APS are immune to even 120mm. Calling this thing a "tank hunter" is an insult to tanks everywhere.