The engine and transmission were also introduced onto the chassis. Test 2, 2011: Gunnery systems were added to the turret such as the Fire Control System (FCS), aiming devices, and traverse motors. The chassis – without engine and transmission – was put through various stress tests. The turret was mounted on a platform for firing tests. Test 1, 2009: This tested the turret and chassis separately from each other. A series of four tests began following this.

Work on the first prototype began in 2008. The Type 16 project began life in 2007-08 and was led by the Technical Research & Development Institute of Japan’s Ministry of Defense. It can traverse tight rural trails and heavily built up city blocks with ease, or even be air transported for island defense if necessary. As such, it is far more flexible in its deployment options. In 2011, this changed to ‘Maneuver/Mobile Combat Vehicle’.Ĭlassed as a wheeled tank destroyer, the Type 16 is much lighter and faster than the Japanese Ground Self Defence Force’s tanks. The MCV originally stood for ‘Mobile Combat Vehicle’. The Type 16 MCV (Japanese: – 16式機動戦闘車 Hitoroku-shiki kidou-sentou-sha) is one of the Japanese military’s latest developments.

Japanese tank list modern