Type 74 (battle tank)
| Type 74 | |
|---|---|
Type 74 of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces (2005) |
|
| General properties | |
| crew | 4 (commander, driver, gunner, loader) |
| length | 9.41 m (length with gun in 12 o'clock position) |
| width | 3.18 m |
| height | 2.25 m (tower top) |
| Dimensions | 38 t |
| Armor and armament | |
| Armor | 120 mm |
| Main armament | 1 × 105mm M68 cannon (55 projectiles) |
| Secondary armament | 1 x 12.7 mm - Browning M2 - machine gun (superstructure) and
1 × 7.62mm machine gun (coaxial) |
| agility | |
| drive |
Mitsubishi 10ZF Model 21 10-cylinder diesel 560 kW (750 PS) |
| suspension | hydropneumatic |
| Top speed | 53 km / h |
| Power / weight | 14.7 kW / t (20 HP / t) |
| Range | 300 km |
The Type 74 ( Japanese 74 式 戦 車 , 74-shiki sensha , German "Type 74 tank") is a Japanese main battle tank, which was developed as a successor to the Type 61 and introduced in 1975 in the self-defense forces.
description
Structure and engine
The length of the Type 74 is 9.41 meters, its width 3.18 meters and its height 2.25 meters. Its combat weight is 38 tons. The shape of the tower and tub front is very favorable and does not result in any traps. The drive with hydropneumatic suspension does not have any support rollers. An air-cooled Mitsubishi diesel engine, which has an output of 560 kW (750 hp) and acts on a semi-automatic transmission, serves as the drive . The tank reaches a speed of 53 km / h.
crew
The driver sits in the bow on the left, reserve ammunition is stored on the right, the arrangement of the seats for the other three crew members corresponds to that in the Leopard's tower. The maneuverability is below average for a medium tank because of the relatively weak engine.
Armament
The main armament used is a 105 mm M68 cannon, which is a modification of the British 105 mm Royal Ordnance L7 drawbar cannon and differs from the original through the use of a drop wedge lock. A 7.62-mm blind machine gun and a 12.7-mm FlaMG complete the armament. The fire control system has a laser range finder .
Service time and costs
Due to the small series (from 1975 only about 300 tanks were built) the unit price is extremely high. At the time the Type 74 was introduced, it was already considered technologically obsolete, which is why development of the Type 90 began immediately . The Type 10 will gradually replace the Type 74. The Type 10 has been in production since 2010 and the first units entered service in 2012.
Type 74 of the JGSDF basis in Itami in the prefecture of Hyogo (October 2004)
