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JGSDF Type-74 Main Battle Tank
The Type 74 (74式戦車, nana-yon-shiki-sensha) is a main battle tank (MBT) of the Japan Ground Self Defense Force (JGSDF).
Description[ ]
It was built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries as a supplement to the earlier Type 61. It was based on the best features of a number of contemporary designs, placing it in the same class as the US M60 or German Leopard 1. Like these designs, it mounts the Royal Ordnance L7 rifled 105 mm gun. The design did not enter widespread use until 1980, by which point other Western forces had introduced more capable designs. It was followed by the heavier Type 90. Both the Type 74 and Type 90 are supplemented and will be eventually replaced by the new-generation Type 10 tank.
Specification[ ]
- Type: Main Battle Tank
- Mass: 38 tonnes (42 short tons; 37 long tons)
- Length: 9.41 m (30 ft 10 in)
- Width: 3.18 m (10 ft 5 in)
- Height: 2.25 m (7 ft 5 in)
- Crew: 4
- Armor: 189–195 mm (7.4–7.7 in)
- Armaments:
- Main armament: 105 mm L7A3 rifled gun, 55 rounds
- Secondary armament:
- M2HB 12.7 mm machine gun, 660 rounds
- Type 74 7.62 mm machine gun, 4,500 rounds
- Engine: Mitsubishi 10ZF Model 21, 10 cylinders diesel, 21.5 L, 750 hp (560 kW)
- Power/weight: 19 hp/tonne
- Suspension: hydropneumatic
- Operational range: 300 km (190 mi)
- Maximum speed: 53 km/h (33 mph)
Chronology[ ]
Although the tanks are still in service, they are not deployed by the JGSDF outside Japan in its battles in the New World as they uses the more advanced Type-90 and Type-10 MBTs. Instead, they are used for training soldiers and defense.
Trivia[ ]
- The main gun of the Type-74 is also used by the Type-16 Maneuver Combat Vehicle.