JGSDF Tank

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90&74 type Tank Japan Ground Self-defence Force

Part 1

The ultimate vehicle on the ground, that is a tank.
Our research group's theme is an electric vehicle. A tank, a combat machine, seemes like nothing to do with our topics. But we think we can get an idea or something from this.
Frankly speaking, I say there is little relating our subjects. Reason is simple. Our professor's high school classmate is working in the defence force. We want to ride a tank and to know about this ultimate vehicle, he asked his friend.
Is it natural? No. There are littile people want to know about our army (we don't say army but defence force) and their weapons. It's almost taboo because of the article 9 of the Japanese Constitution

1999-10-20

90 type Tank. We call "Kyu_Maru Shiki"
The latest tank of Japan, it was taken into service 1990. It isn't new but latest. Though it was adopted in 1990, its performance is kept the highest level I heard. It has 120mm tank gun with band magazine type auto reload system just like French tank. And it has an armor using titanium and ceramics against HEAT shells.
The price is also highest level. One vehicle costs 900,000,000 yen, 9 million US dollar. Now 90 tank can be seen in Hokkaido the northen island and around Mt.Fuji where we went.
74 type tank. "Nana_Yon Shiki"
Tanks have hydraulic suspension system. 90 tank can change only pitching direction, 74 can also change rolling direction in this picture. 90 tank need not to rolling when fire because FCS(Fire Control System) made progress between 74 and 90.
Round turret is beautiful. I can understand that the round design can make the armor stronger than square one, because stress on the materials will not concentrate easily.
74 tank has 105mm gun without autoreload. So reload work must made by man power.
Wear a helmet, and go the ride.
It started littile rain, when we started to ride. We need to watch our steps when climbing up the turret. 2 people ride the tank, standing captain's hatch and gunner's hatch.
Riding carefully
The height is not short, because the standard height of this 90 tank is 2.3m. It cannot be tall seen from a distance, length beging enough big.
The main gun,120mm tank gun, is produced under license of Germany. It needs 120mm big to shoot fin stabilized shells. It isn't rifleing gun used to be. After lunch we were taught about the tank's guns and shells, for example APFSDS, HEAT ,and etc.
Start to drive.
From left, 90 tank, 74 tank, and 73 type APC(Armored Personnel Carrior) called battlefield taxi. 73 APC is light weight, I don't know 13 tons is light or not, because it is made of alminium materials. It can float on the water with special kit.
But now alminium armor is not popular because the charactor of alminium to burn under high temperature.
Start the engine.
Tank has 2 stroke diesel engine, and displacement is 21,500cc. Displacement between 2 type tank is same, but 90 tank has liquid cooled, and 74 tank has air cooled engine. Supercharging system is different. 90 type has an exhaust turbocharger and a mechanical supercharger after inter-cooler.
In the battlefield nobody say about emvironment. So look at this picture, exhaust gas.
73 APC
This vehicle has sprocket wheel in the front though engine is in the rear. It is easy to repair or change the engine as a power pack if the sprocket wheel is near the engine. And also propeller shaft would be needless.
6 wheeled 87 RCV (Reconnaissance Combat Vehicle)
Wheeled vehicle can run faster than other combat vehicle with track (caterpiller). Run flat tire is equiped with this RCV, that is not like Michelin PAX that has small rubber band in the tire but the tire's sidewall is very thick not to break even if the bullet would hit the tire.
Isuzu's truck is a basecar and was made all 6 wheel drive and front 4 wheel steer. In the picture rear 4 wheel drive and front 4 wheel steer,it is too complex.
4 wheel steering.
Officially this RCV's max speed is 100km/h. It is natural it can run at more than 100km/h because 100km/h is official figure. It can be said as a joke that RCV was caught by police on the high way because of speeding.
As I said basecar is Isuzu truck, operation of this vehicle is same as a truck, but this vehicle's synchromesh gear was not good, driver had difficulty to change the gear. I saw our difence force has short of budget.
During queueing to ride, it's a question time.
We ride these vehicles in the wilderness of Mt.Fuji usually used for training of soldiers. Comparing 90 tank and 74 tank, I can say 90 tank is Lexus. Ride comfort of 90 tank is far better than 74 tank. The reason is obvious. 90 tank has an independent suspension for each 6 wheels on one side. 74 has only 3 hydraulic for 5 wheels.

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