Type 10 most modern Japanese main battle tank (MBT). This machine is designed as a cheaper alternative to the Type 90 MBT through deep modernization of the body and chassis of the tank Type 74 and install it on the new design of the tower. A prototype of the new tank was demonstrated to the public for the first time in 2008, and in 2010 began its delivery to the military part of the Self-Defense Forces of Japan. It is reported that the cost of one tank is about $ 6.5 million apiece. It is planned that over time, this war machine to replace the obsolete Type 74 tanks and efficiently complement the Type 90 tank fleet.
The first show of the new tank was held February 13, 2008. Prototype promising MBT was shown to journalists in the city of Sagamihara in the research center of the Ministry of Defense of Japan. Tank Type 10 incorporates the latest advances in the field of tank development in recent years and was created with the experience of running local conflicts of our time. Work on this war machine was started in the early 2000s, and some elements of the design were developed back in the 90's of the last century. Developer and manufacturer of the machine is the company Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
Tank Type 10 is the classic layout, the crew consists of 3 people: a driver placed in the front of the case, and the vehicle commander and gunner in the habitable tower. This tank will be used in mountain areas and in the areas of constrained areas. Introduced in Sagamihara tank has the following dimensional characteristics: length - 9.42 m (gun forward), width - 3,24 m, height - 2.3 m Combat weight of the machine is 44 tons, while the weight Type 90 - 50 tons (with Type 10 is less than the length 380 mm, width 160 mm). Both tanks have the same number of crew and are equipped with an autoloader. The main armament of the tank - it's a 120-mm smoothbore gun, coupled with a 7.62-mm machine gun and the tank can be mounted 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun.