The Type 16 maneuver combat vehicle (16式機動戦闘車, Hitoroku-shiki kidou-sentou-sha) is a wheeled tank destroyer of the Japan Ground Self Defense Force.
Description[]
The Type 16 maneuver combat vehicle (MCV) equips designated combat units. Due to its light weight and small size, it is designed for easy deployment (by aircraft if needed) allowing rapid movement on narrow roads and in built-up areas in response to various contingencies. Despite its small size and light armor, it can successfully attack much larger armored fighting vehicles as well as personnel, using its large caliber gun.
The intention is for the MCV to act as both as a rapid reaction asset against conventional incursions on the outer islands and as a counter-insurgency vehicle against asymmetrical attacks in urban areas of Japan by enemy special forces, intelligence operatives, or their proxies.
MCVs are expected to be highly functional, but can also be loaded on Kawasaki C-2 at the same time. JMSDF is dedicated to securing transport vessels for maritime transport independently, and will be carried on these vessels and transported to the Okinawa Islands.
Although the vehicle uses modular armor, it has a relatively delicate undercarriage and drive system that may be vulnerable to improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and other underbody blasts (such as from anti-tank mines). Since the MCV is designed only for defending against enemy invasion of the home islands, it is unlikely to find itself fighting a lengthy counter-insurgency campaign in a foreign nation, or encountering enemy minefields while spearheading an invasion of an enemy power.
The main gun, designed by Japan Steel Works, uses a 105 mm rifled cannon. It is intended to use the ammunition of the retired Type-74 Main Battle Tank.
Specifications[]
- Mass: 26 tonnes
- Length: 8.45 m (27 ft 9 in)
- Width: 2.98 m (9 ft 9 in)
- Height: 2.87 m (9 ft 5 in)]
- Crew: 4
- Armaments:
- Main armament: 105 mm gun (developed by Japan Steel Works)
- Secondary armament:
- 12.7 mm NATO M2 Browning machine gun, coaxial
- Sumitomo Type 74 7.62 mm NATO medium machine gun
- Engine: 4-cylinder water-cooled turbocharged diesel 11.3 litre, 570 hp
- Power/weight: 21.9 hp/tonne
- Suspension: Wheeled 8 x 8
- Operational range: 400 km (250 mi)
- Speed: 100 km/h (62 mph)
Service History in the New World[]
The Type-16 MCV is first featured in Nihonkoku Shoukan Gaiden 2: Lone Warrior. It is supposed to be used by the Grameus Expeditionary Team as it is can be loaded in the Kawasaki C-2 Transport Aircraft. However, due to the limited capacity of the transport aircraft (can only carry 1 Type-16 MCV), they decided to send medium range multi-purpose guided missiles, along with 120mm mortars and three (3) high mobility vehicles to tow them. Aside from Type 89 assault rifles, they also included high-firepower Type 64 battle rifles, MINIMIs, M24 SWS marksman rifles, a massive amount of grenades, Type 6 rifle grenades, 84mm recoilless rifles. etc.