Type 90
| Type 90 | |
|---|---|
Type 90 at a military school in Tsuchiura , Japan (2007) |
|
| General properties | |
| crew | 3 (commander, driver, gunner) |
| length | 7.5 m (tub) |
| width | 3.33 m |
| height | 2.33 m |
| Dimensions | 50 t |
| Armor and armament | |
| Armor | Composite armor |
| Main armament |
120 mm smoothbore cannon , 35 shells |
| Secondary armament | 12.7mm MG M2HB 1,500 cartridges 7.62mm MG Type 74 2000 cartridges |
| agility | |
| drive | 10-cylinder diesel engine Mitsubishi 10ZG 1120 kW (1500 PS) |
| suspension | Torsion bar suspension on axis 3 and 4, otherwise hydropneumatic |
| Top speed | 70 km / h |
| Power / weight | 22.4 kW / t |
| Range | 350 km |
The Type 90 ( Japanese 90 式 戦 車 , 90-shiki sensha , German "Type 90 tank") is a main battle tank of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces ( JSDF ). It entered service in 1990. Since 2010 it has been supplemented by the Type 10 .
development
After series production of the Type 74 began in September 1975 , it was already technologically obsolete. Therefore, in 1976 - just one year later - the Japanese land forces began developing a new battle tank. This was intended to replace both the Type 61 and the newly introduced Type 74 and meet technical standards that should enable use well into the 21st century. The company Mitsubishi Heavy Industries was entrusted with the project and cooperated thereby with the German tank manufacturer Krauss-Maffei and Mak . Other companies involved included Japan Steel Works , Daikin Industries , Mitsubishi Electric Corporation , Fujitsu and NEC Corporation . In 1982 and 1984 prototypes of the new main battle tank were presented for the first time, which looked very similar to the Leopard 2. To ensure that the vehicle was future-proof, technologies were used that were already used in the Japanese predecessor model and shown in the German-American battle tank 70 , but were discarded during the development of the Leopard 2 and the M1 Abrams for reasons of cost and maturity. These included:
- specific power of 22.4 kW / t
- Car loader in the turret rear
- Hydropneumatic chassis
After intensive tests and the resulting further improvements, series production of the new main battle tank began in 1989, at the same time as the Mitsubishi Type 89 infantry fighting vehicle . In 1990 the first copies could then be handed over to the land forces. The Type 90 was one of the most modern and sophisticated tanks in the world and would have good chances on the international export market if Japan's arms industry were not subject to strict export restrictions. In this respect, however, the very high unit price of around 7.4 million US dollars (2008) makes things more difficult ; this high sum is primarily due to the very advanced and correspondingly cost-intensive sensor technology of the tank and the small number of items produced.
technology
The battle tank is operated by a three-man crew. The driver is sitting in the front left in the tub; There are three corner mirrors available for the outside view, the middle one can be replaced by a night vision device . In the turret, the commander sits on the right and the gunner on the left of the main weapon. The engine is located in the rear of the vehicle.
Armament and sensors
The Type 90 was equipped with a 120 mm smoothbore cannon L / 44 manufactured under license in Japan by the German company Rheinmetall and was thus the third tank type worldwide to be equipped with this powerful cannon, alongside the German Leopard 2 and the US M1 Abrams has been. The height adjustment range is from −10 ° to + 15 °, the swivel range is 360 °. The weapon can fire armor-piercing APFSDS-T balancing projectiles of the type JM-33 (DM-33 derivative), HEAT-MP shaped charge projectiles of the type JM-12A1 and HE shells. The ammunition is manufactured by Daikin Industries Limited . In contrast to the Leopard 2 and Abrams, the Type 90 is equipped with an automatic loading machine, which makes it possible to save the loader as the fourth crew member. The loading time is four to six seconds between two shots; The main weapon is swiveled to the 0 ° position for loading by the computer and then automatically aligned again at the target. The loading machine holds 16 shots, another 19 are stored in the tub to the right of the driver. If the machine fails, it can also be loaded manually. A machine gun in caliber 7.62 × 51 mm NATO serves as the coaxial weapon . The turret machine gun uses 12.7 × 99 mm NATO ammunition and, thanks to its central position, can be operated by both the commander and the shooter.
A computer-controlled fire control system from Mitsubishi Electrics enables effective weapon stabilization even when driving at high speed and thus allows the Type 90 to have a high first-hit probability while moving. This system also includes two thermal imaging devices for the commander and the gunner. The commander's periscope can switch between three and ten times the zoom and can be tilted by ± 29 ° in the vertical and rotated by 180 ° in the horizontal. The gunner's vision system can be enlarged up to ten times and is also equipped with an Nd: YAG laser rangefinder , with which he can aim at targets from 300 to 5000 meters away. The vehicle has hunter-killer capabilities, but the commander can override the gunner if necessary and destroy targets himself. The fire control system works with a 32-bit computer and is able to automatically track targets such as infantry, tanks and helicopters on the basis of their heat radiation. Both the commander and the gunner can lock on a target. The ballistic computer calculates the lead for the main or coaxial weapon and adjusts it accordingly. If the activated target is covered by an obstacle, the weapon is aimed at the last measured speed vector in order to enable the shooter to react quickly.
Armor and protection
The Type 90 is equipped with modern modular composite armor with ceramics from the Kyoto Ceramics Company , the arrangement and thickness of which corresponds roughly to that of the Leopard 2 in the A4 version. The armor thus satisfies the current requirements and offers effective protection for the crew. The front armor was able to repel an APFSDS projectile JM-33 in a test, the side armor of the turret can withstand 35 mm APDS ammunition from a kilometer away. Part of the front armor is located next to the fascia in exchangeable armor boxes. The roof armor protects against splinters and shrapnel from 155 mm artillery shells and (limited) projectile-forming charges . In addition to this passive protection device of the type 90 still has two mounted on the tower sides smoke grenade launcher systems , each with three 60-mm cups and attached to the turret front Laser warning receiver which alerts the crew upon detection of the tank by a laser aiming beam and the commander, the direction of Indicating threat.
The ammunition bunker has bursting discs on the top to divert the energy of an explosion of the ammunition stored there to the outside. The vehicle is NBC-protected and has a fire extinguishing system.
The vehicle is smaller than comparable western models, even smaller than a Leclerc . Compared to a T-72 , it is only slightly higher, but much narrower. The Type 90 has roughly the following armor protection ( RHA ) against HEAT and KE projectiles:
| Component | Tub front | Tower front | Tower side |
|---|---|---|---|
| KE bullets | 600 mm | 600-700 mm | 90-110 mm |
| HEAT | 700-800 mm | 900-1200 mm | 130-150 mm |
mobility
The tank is powered by a ten-cylinder, two-stroke Mitsubishi 10ZG diesel engine with a Roots blower for charging. The advantages of the two-stroke engine are the smaller cubic capacity of only 21.5 liters (cf.V12 four-stroke diesel engine of the Leopard 2 engine with 47.6 liters cubic capacity) and a more uniform torque; the higher thermal load on the components and higher consumption (around 234 g / kWh). The unit develops 1120 kW (1500 hp) and 4410 Nm at 2400 rpm. This makes the Type 90 with 22.4 kW / t the most powerfully motorized battle tank. The engine is connected to a hydro-mechanical transmission that has four forward and two reverse gears. The engine block can be changed within 20 minutes. The maximum speed on roads is 70 km / h. The vehicle is decelerated with oil-cooled multi - disc brakes. The range of 350 km is less than that of other western battle tanks, which is opposed to the defensive purpose and the good infrastructure in Japan.
The tank has a combination of torsion bar and pneumatic suspension (see table). As a result, the tank is able to tilt the tub forwards or backwards, or to lower or raise it over its entire length; a tilt to the side is not possible. The ground clearance can be regulated from 200 to 600 mm. This enables an improved use of weapons, since unevenness in the terrain can be leveled out or cover can be used more effectively. Such a system was also under discussion for the German-American joint project Kampfpanzer 70, but was then rejected because of the high costs and technical problems. The climbing ability is 1 meter, the trench crossing ability 2.7 meters and the fording depth 2 meters. A dozer blade or mine rollers can be attached to the front of the tub.
variants
Based on the chassis of the Type 90, an armored recovery vehicle (Type 90 ARV) and a bridge-laying armored vehicle ( Type 91 AVLB) were developed and built for the self-defense forces of Japan.
Quantities
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Japan : 341 (2009)
