Japan's 10-type main battle tank is more focused on local mobile defense after "weight loss"
It is a tank developed on the basis of inheriting the performance of the 74-type and 90-type tanks, taking the rapid deployment requirements as the design bus, focusing on information transformation and upgrading, and expanding the joint and interoperability.
Despite being affected by the new coronary pneumonia epidemic, the Japan Land Self-Defense Force held the "Fuji Integrated Firepower" exercise as usual. The most advanced type 10 main battle tank of the Land Self-Defense Force plays the finale role in this firepower display.
The Science and Technology Daily reporter noticed that this time Japan exposed the internal images of the Type 10 main battle tank for the first time, which also gave the exercise a new look.
The Japanese 10-type main battle tank is known as the world's first fourth-generation main battle tank, and its cost is as high as 9.4 million US dollars, which is one of the most expensive tanks in the world. As a main battle tank model developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the Type 10 main battle tank was formally equipped with the Land Self-Defense Force in 2012.
Highlight the characteristics of "lightweight"
The Type 10 main battle tank is the successor of the Japanese Type 90 main battle tank. Public information shows that Japan's third-generation main battle tank, the Type 90 main battle tank, was originally developed in response to the possible invasion of Soviet tanks. However, as the Soviet Union disintegrated, the Type 90 main battle tank suddenly lost its imaginary enemy. And although it has advanced performance, it weighs 50 tons, which not only exceeds the carrying capacity of most roads and bridges in Japan, but also is not suitable for urban operations and mobile operations.
Later, Japan adjusted its strategy to focus on mobile combat capability. Therefore, a new type of main battle tank with strong mobile combat capability was needed. The Type 10 main battle tank came into being. The Japanese claimed that this tank has excellent maneuverability, is equipped with an upgraded version of protective armor, and has the combat capability of shooting between marches.
In this regard, Fang Changan, a military science writer, said: "The development and design of the Japanese Type 10 main battle tank must be viewed from the perspective of military needs and technological development. The early Japanese tanks had clear targets for combat, such as the Type 61 tank required to fight against the Soviet Union T-55 tanks, Type 74 tanks are required to fight against T-62 tanks, Type 90 tanks are required to fight against T-72 tanks, only Type 10 main battle tank is a tank developed to focus on the needs of local'mobile defense'."
Based on the inheritance of the performance of the 74-type and 90-type tanks, the Japanese 10-type main battle tank is a bus designed with rapid deployment requirements, focusing on information transformation and upgrading, and expanding with joint and interoperability. tank. From the overall design to the selection of components, the Japanese Type 10 main battle tank permeates the characteristics of "light weight".
The basic weight of the Japanese Type 10 main battle tank is only 40 tons, the total weight of the battle is 44 tons, it can carry 3 combatants, the maximum speed is 70 kilometers per hour, the maximum travel is 440 kilometers, and it is equipped with a 44-caliber 120-mm smoothbore gun and 12.7 mm high flat Dual-purpose machine gun, and auxiliary 7.62 mm side-by-side machine gun. The tank has 360-degree battlefield situation observation and 360-degree laser warning capabilities. The effective hit rate in the effective range can reach 95%, the armor penetration thickness can reach about 750 mm, and the combat performance is more prominent in anti-terrorism operations and urban warfare.
"It should be said that under the design concept of'light weight', the Japanese 10-type main battle tank has made a lot of improvements compared to the 90-type main battle tank as a whole." Fang Changan said.
Appearance cannot be a criterion for performance evaluation
The main battle tanks of contemporary countries all strengthen their defense by increasing the total weight of the battle. The main battle tanks with a total weight of more than 50 tons have become mainstream, and there are even more than 60 tons of main battle tanks. However, the total weight of the Type 10 main battle tank is only 44 tons. Many people in the industry pointed out that the combat weight of the Type 10 main battle tank is too light, which may lead to insufficient protection.
In this regard, Fang Changan said that in modern warfare, it is unimaginable to have a tank battle. It is usually an asymmetric warfare, mainly fighting high with low and weak with strong. That is to say, modern warfare is more about killing tanks through aerial firepower and long-range precision firepower, and using main battle tanks to deal with armored vehicles and infantry that have weaker defense capabilities. Therefore, tank-to-tank attack and defense is not the mainstream.
"Of course, the tank's own defense is also necessary, mainly used to counter the attack of anti-tank missiles. The general approach is to use composite armor and laser warning devices. The Type 10 main battle tank uses a new type of composite armor similar to the Type 90, but the defense It has better performance and easier installation and disassembly. At the same time, it adopts the laser warning system used by the American Gudrich company for helicopters. Its 360-degree situational awareness and the ability to find and fire before the enemy can also compensate to a certain extent. The lack of defense capabilities." Fang Changan pointed out.
Japan's Type 10 main battle tank is one of the most expensive tanks in the world. However, from the internal picture of the Type 10 main battle tank first revealed in this exercise, its maintenance level is not very good. Some netizens even said that there is no sense of modernity inside the Japanese Type 10 main battle tank.
In this regard, Fang Changan believes that since the First World War, tanks have developed into more mature weapon platforms in the war, and the change period is about 15-20 years. As the equipment that has been equipped for nearly 10 years, the appearance is old and aging is normal, so the appearance cannot be used as a criterion.
"It should be said that this reflects the frequency of use of the Type 10 main battle tanks to a certain extent. Whether the maintenance is good or not, the key is to look at the maintenance of the internal mechanical system and the information system. It cannot be judged only from the appearance." Fang Changan introduced, Type 10 The modernization of the main battle tank is mainly reflected in the in-vehicle informationization of the fire control system and the accusation system.
Whether it can become the future "king of land war" needs to be tested by practice
But even so, there are many people who claim that the Type 10 main battle tank has not yet met the requirements of the fourth generation tank.
The tank generation is a rough division of the main battle equipment. The second-generation tank mainly solves the problem of component automation and performance improvement, the third-generation tank mainly solves the problem of vehicle automation, and the fourth-generation tank mainly solves the vehicle-mounted information system. And command and control issues. It should be said that according to this standard, the Type 10 main battle tank belongs to the fourth generation tank.
Fang Changan believes that some people like to compare tank generations, but it is not necessary. In addition to the factors of industrial capability, the true capabilities of the tank also have to consider factors such as overall needs and operational requirements, areas of operational use, suitability of officers and soldiers, etc. The equipment that suits your needs is the best equipment. For example, Russian tanks are more inclined to use clever mechanical designs to solve automation problems, and American tanks are more inclined to use information technology to solve mechanical transmission problems, which is not a good comparison.
So, what is the Type 10 main battle tank compared to the currently recognized fourth-generation tank, the Russian T-14 "Amat"?
Fang Changan said: "There are comments that the T-14'Amata' may be on the'king's seat' of future tanks because it represents the development direction of the world's tanks, including its mobility, protection, firepower, automation, Informatization and intelligence, it has great advantages compared to other tanks, and its overall performance is better than that of the US M1A2 and Germany's "Leopard 2", while the overall performance of the Type 10 main battle tank is weaker than that of the virtue. Battle tanks, so it stands out."
However, as mentioned before, future wars are more focused on systematic operations and asymmetric operations. As a traditional tank, it is difficult to comment on whether it is necessary to be "unique". Therefore, whether tanks can become "kings of land warfare" in future wars also needs practice. Inspection. Besides, every multi-million-dollar tank like "Amata" is also easily destroyed by a cheap anti-tank missile of $20,000. Whether it is suitable for future wars still needs further evaluation.
"Overall, in the future informational and intelligent warfare, what kind of posture should traditional weapons exist in is a major and difficult problem to be solved in war research. Once the direction is wrong, it will be Fatal." Fang Changan pointed out.
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A tank is a kind of marine weaponry with very small internal space. In order to control the volume of the tank and increase combat equipment and ammunition, there is almost no extra space in the tank. Sometimes, in order to increase the comfort of the tank soldiers, air-conditioning and other equipment will be installed in the tank. This is because the temperature in the tank is very high, and the soldiers lose their physical strength very quickly in the high temperature of more than 50 degrees Celsius. Some military fans still have a question. The tank walks fast. How do tank soldiers use the toilet?
Under normal circumstances, tank soldiers, like other highly mobile land combat vehicles, can be resolved by stopping the vehicle and walking out of the compartment between battles. The designer of the Russian T-14 "Amat" main battle tank added a toilet to the tank. The Russian T-14 "Amat" main battle tank with a cost of millions of dollars is called the most advanced tank in the world by Russia. After the toilet is equipped, it will solve the problem of tank members urinating and defecating in the car, and its car toilet It is flush type. At present, neither British nor American tanks have the design of toilets in vehicles.