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Type 74 SPH

1975 COLD WAR MODERN SELF-PROPELLED ARTILLERY

History

The Type 74 was developed to meet the requirements of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) for a 105mm self-propelled howitzer. It was built on the chassis of the Type 73 Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC), which entered the market in 1973 and produced more than 330 units. The Type 74 was not widely adopted, as only 20 were produced.

Design work on the car began in 1969 and serial production ran from 1975 to 1978. Despite its origins in the 1970s and limited production, the Type 74 is still reportedly an active part of the JGSDF artillery regiment.

The Type 74 ended up being an 18-ton vehicle with a configuration long established by self-propelled guns elsewhere. This consisted of an armored hull with well-raked forward sloping plates, the driver was seated forward right and the powerplant was forward left.

The forward mounting of the engine opened the rear of the hull for the placement of the turret rings and associated turrets to which the main armament was attached. Both the hull and the turret were used to accommodate projectiles and charges. The crew of four consists of the driver, commander, gunner and loader. The armor structure is mainly aluminum. Dimensions include a length of 20 feet, a width of over 9 feet, and a tower top height of nearly 8 feet.

The chassis design comes from Komatsu's attention-grabbing work.

The landing gear consists of five twin tire wheels on one side of the fuselage, arranged in a track wheel configuration. The drive sprocket is in the front, the chain idler is in the back, and there is no return roller. Power comes from a 300 hp Mitsubishi 4ZF 4-cylinder diesel engine.

This gives the vehicle a top speed of 30 mph and a range of up to 185 miles on internal fuel. The hull is mounted on a torsion bar suspension system for the required off-road capability.

Japanese steel mills dominated the design and development of the motorized turret and associated main gun - this was the 105mm caliber. The gun is of good quality and is used to indirectly block target areas at long distances.

The loading function was performed manually by a dedicated ammunition operator who joined the commander and turret transfer of the turret section. The gun is equipped with a smoke trigger in the center and a large muzzle brake on the business end. The thick gun cover protected the bottom of the gun from enemy fire. Local defense is provided by a trainable 12.7mm Browning M2HB heavy machine gun mounted on a mount above the right turret hatch. This weapon can be effectively used to repel low-flying aircraft, lightly armored vehicles and enemy infantry.

At the push of a button, the crew can use multiple situational awareness line-of-sight blocks.

Beginning in 1969, the car took some time in the design phase. A pilot vehicle appeared in 1974 and underwent extensive testing to demonstrate that the vehicle's sound could be used by the JGSDF. After approval, it was officially adopted in 1974.

In October 1975, the JGSDF also adopted another SPH system, which became the Type 75, and was equipped with a larger caliber 155mm artillery system, more similar to western ones such as the US M109 and the UK AS90 design. The Type 75 was produced in much larger numbers, with 201 produced from 1975 to 1988, and was built on the chassis of the Type 74 main battle tank.

The Type 73 armoured personnel carrier at the Type 74 base is also the base for the Type 75 130mm Multiple Rocket System (MLRS) tracked vehicle. This was introduced in 1975.