![]() ![]() ![]() The gunner is located right behind him in the turret, and has his own one-piece hatch and vision unit, with a digital IR sight of 10x magnification and rangefinder display. The driver, positioned in the front left, is given a sliding hatch and three periscopes, with a central day/night sight. The hull (entirely welded, with Japanese very high-quality steel RHA) is given a very sloped, almost flat glacis, like its contemporaries such as the Abrams. The first production of 30 vehicles left the Mitsubishi factory lines at the beginning of 1990. This run of prototypes produced the final pre-production prototype. In 1986-88, the second wave of prototypes was built and tested in 1989. In 1984, tests were terminated, while other departments were developing the Turret and Modular type ceramic composite armor until 1986. It was manufactured under license by Japan Steel Works Limited and fired ammunitions by Daikin Industries Limited. It was, in fact, the German-designed Rheinmetall L44 found on the Leopard 2 and M1 Abrams. The great novelty was, of course, the 120 mm gun, ready and tested in 1982. Other subcontractors joined the process, including Japan Steel Works, Daikin Industries, Mitsubishi Electric, Fujitsu, and NEC. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the backbone of Japanese Tank design, joined forces with the TRDI (Japan Defense Agency's Technology Research and Development Institute) to design the TK-X MBT, which was later tested in 1976-1977. Before that, it was thought the T-72 was equal if not superior to the Type 74 in some areas. The Type 90's design process started right after the Type 74 entered service, with the first specifications drawn up in 1980. It would bolster the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force's armored units as they phased out the Type 61, and reduced the number of operational Type 74s. The Third-Generation Type 90 Kyū-maru (90式戦車 Kyū-maru-shiki-sensha) was developed to match the western power's most up-to-date Main Battle Tanks, namely the American M1 Abrams, and the German Leopard 2. Type 90 Kyu Maru Japan (1990) - Main Battle Tank - 341 built ![]()
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