The Japanese Type 16 MCV is designed to defeat amphibious assault forces
The Japanese Type 16 MCV (Maneuver Combat Vehicle) is a Fire Support Vehicle intended for rapid reaction forces. Its role is to directly support infantry in the same way as the Stryker MGS (Mobile Gun System) and similar vehicles such as the Italian Centauro, and to engage enemy light vehicles, particularly amphibious assault forces. It is designed to fit into a Kawasaki C-2 aircraft for rapid air transport to one of Japan's many islands. Together with the Type 10 MBT the Type 16 MCV replaced the Type 74 Main Battle Tanks, with the same 105 mm gun for the Type 16, and therefore the same ammunition stocks. Being wheeled, it is cheaper to build and maintain and is able to complement light forces using 4x4, 6x6, and 8x8 vehicles.
Type 74 Main Battle Tank
The Type 74 Main Battle Tank was developed in the 1970s by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and entered service in 1974. It had a Christie-type five-roller suspension. The driver's compartment was located at the front left and the engine at the rear of the chassis. The turret was armed with the British L7A1 105 mm rifled gun with a length of 52 calibers. A total of 873 Type 74 tanks were produced between 1975 and 1988.
Type 16 MCV
The Type 16 MCV was developed in the early 2010s by TRDI, Technical Research and Development Institute, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. It was scheduled to enter service in 2016. The prototype of the Type 16 MCV was unveiled in October 2013. The powerplant is located at the front left of the chassis with the driver on the right side. The rear of the chassis has a door to facilitate boarding and ammunition loading. The Type 16 MCV can be fitted with additional armor and has unspecified NBC protection for the crew.
The turret, similar to that of the Type 10 Main Battle Tank, also features the vehicle's most advanced electronics, such as surveillance and tracking systems and a fire control system. It is able to fire at moving targets while on the move, which is standard with modern vehicles. Active protection is provided by a standard smoke grenade launch system that operates automatically when laser radiation is detected. The latest generation optics also offer hunter-killer target marking capability. The equipment includes run-flat tires and central tire inflation, while the driver can select the tire pressure to adjust the driving characteristics to the current terrain.
The Type 16 MCV can attack targets that are significantly more heavily armored than itself thanks to its 105 mm rifled cannon. It uses NATO-compatible 105 mm ammunition, of which it carries 40 rounds in reserve. This main weapon is loaded manually, which saves weight. Secondary weapons include a 12.7 mm machine gun mounted on the roof as an anti-aircraft weapon and a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun.
Neither a tank destroyer, nor an APC
Japan is highly urbanized, and this is where combat is most likely to take place. Wheels are therefore a good option, offering mobility, economy, and ease of transport, as well as logistics that match the rest of the forces. Its speed on the roads reaches about 100kph, 30 to 50kph faster than Main Battle Tanks. The vehicle is not really a tank destroyer because its 105 mm is not enough to kill tanks other than the T-55s or T-62s, and the main threat is China, which would use Type 96 or Type 99 tanks that will easily withstand the 105 mm. It is also too lightly armored to take on anything other than an automatic cannon.
The Type 16 MCV is not built on any existing Armoured Personnel Carrier and it is not an APC. The four-member crew consists of a driver, commander, gunner, and loader. The main weapon has been criticized for high deformation, especially in hot conditions, and for overheating of the crew, as the vehicle has no air conditioning. Fortunately, Japan is located in a temperature zone similar to Vladivostok, so this should not be such a problem in self-defense.
The CTWV
The Common Tactical Wheeled Vehicle (CTWV) is based on the same platform as the Type 16 Manoeuvre Combat Vehicle, and was unveiled at Eurosatory 2014, and three variants have been developed: ICV (Infantry Combat Vehicle), RCV (Reconnaissance Combat Vehicle) and MMCV (Maneuvre Mortar Combat Vehicle). The ICV and RCV being armed with a Mk44 Bushmaster II (30×173mm) autocannon, while the MMCV carries a 120 mm rifled, recoiling mounted mortar. The Japan Ground Self-Defence Force aims to purchase 150 ICVs, 120 RCVs and 100 MMCVs, or 370 vehicles in total. It currently fields 100 Type 16 MCVs with the plan to reach 250 units in total in future.
Japan has Type 90 and the more modern Type 10 tanks when tanks are needed. The Type 90 weighs about 50 tons and the Type 10 weighs 45 tons. The Type 16 MCV weighs about 26 tons, so it is air transportable and generally more mobile for long transits without additional vehicles.
