Type 89 IFV

History

In keeping with developments in the West, the Japanese island nation adopted modern infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) for its Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF). Work on a new car began in 1980 and four prototypes were delivered by 1984. Testing continued until 1986, followed by the required trials for the JGSDF, leading to the design being adopted as "Type 89" in 1989. Although the initial demand is about 300, according to actual needs and budget, a total of about 68 can be produced.

Manufacturing is managed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and supported by Komatsu.

Overall, the Type 89 borrows much of the form and function of the various well-known IFVs of Western design that have been successful in modern combat. It has a low profile and low superstructure, with a wide, almost horizontal glacis slab at the front. The upper part of the side of the fuselage slopes slightly inward to provide some ballistic protection. The top of the fuselage is flat, allowing for additional external storage, passenger access hatches and unobstructed traversal from the two-man turret.

The turret is located in the center of the tub roof, which provides an excellent view of the entire vehicle.

As an infantry fighting vehicle, the Type 89 is designed to transport combat-ready personnel to the front lines, and once the infantry dismounts, continue fighting in a support role (hence some vehicles in this class are referred to as "infantry fighting vehicles"). Therefore, the design combines good street speed with off-road performance.

The Type 89 provides occupants with launch ports on the sides of the vehicle, allowing them to use their personal weapons to attack enemies to protect the vehicle. The crew of the car consisted of three drivers, the commander and the gunner.

The driver sat on the right front of the hull, the engine was on his right, the commander and gunner were in the turret. NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) protection kit is standard, as is night vision gear for low light/dark combat. The cabin is accessed through a pair of entry doors located at the rear of the fuselage.

In this way, the mass and armor of the vehicle protects the outgoing infantry. Armor protection is made of steel.

The main weapon is a turret-mounted 35mm Oerlikon automatic cannon. This was complemented by a coaxially mounted infantry 7.62mm Type 74 machine gun (main gun close to the turret).

To counter the threat of enemy armor, the vehicle is equipped with 2 anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) launchers (Type 79 Jyu-MAT series). Launchers are attached to each side of the tower. Vehicles can use 2 x 4 smoke grenade launchers to deploy their own smoke screen to cover their movement or retreat.

Unloaders are located in two groups of four shells on either side of the turret.

The design of the Type 89 is based on the power of a liquid-cooled Mitsubishi Type 6SY31 WA diesel engine with an output of 600 hp. The motor, power unit and chain arrangement enables a top speed of 70 km/h and a range of up to 400 km. These performance qualities allow the Type 89 to keep up with modern main battle tanks and similar tracked or wheeled armoured vehicles. A torsion bar suspension system provides the necessary off-road capability. The sprocket arrangement consists of six twin tire wheels on one side of the fuselage with a front drive sprocket and a rear track idler.

Some protection along the sides of the fuselage is provided by bolt-on apron armor panels. The total weight of the vehicle is 27,000 kilograms, the length is 6.7 meters, the height to the top of the tower is 2.75 meters, and the width is 3.2 meters.

As of November 2013, the Type 89 has a significant presence in the modern JGSDF inventory. About 120 have been delivered by 2015.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

550 x 35mm bullet.

4 x Type 79 anti-tank missiles.

1,000 x 7.62mm ammo.

8 x Smoke Grenade.

Changes