Main battle tank Type 90
Main battle tank Type 90
The fire control system developed by Mitsubishi includes a laser rangefinder, gunner’s observation and guidance devices stabilized in one plane (manufactured by Nikon Corporation), panoramic observation and commander’s guidance devices stabilized in two planes (manufactured by Fuji Photo optical company”), a thermal imager (“Fujitsu company”), a digital ballistic computer, an automatic target tracking system and a set of sensors. The electronic ballistic computer automatically takes into account corrections for target speed, side wind, target range, gun trunnion axis roll, air temperature and atmospheric pressure, tank own speed and bore wear. Corrections for the temperature of the charge and the type of shot are entered into it manually. The control of the functioning of the fire control system is carried out by an automatic built-in system.
A 7,62 mm machine gun paired with a cannon, a 12,7 mm M2NV anti-aircraft machine gun on the turret roof, and six smoke grenade launchers were installed as auxiliary and additional weapons. Both crew members located in the turret of the tank can control the auxiliary weapons. However, the fire control system gives priority to the commander's commands. The gun is stabilized in two planes, targeting is carried out using fully electric drives. The fire control system (FCS) is supplemented by a warning system about the irradiation of a tank with a laser beam of anti-tank systems for destruction of armored vehicles.
Thanks to a closed hydraulic system with a central pump, it is possible to adjust the angle of inclination of the tank in the longitudinal plane, which expands the possibilities for aiming the gun at the target without increasing the height of the tank.
The suspension of the tank is hybrid: it includes both hydropneumatic servomotors and torsion shafts. Hydropneumatic servomotors are mounted on the two front and two last road wheels on each side. Thanks to a closed hydraulic system with a central pump, it is possible to adjust the angle of inclination of the tank in the longitudinal plane, which expands the possibilities for aiming the gun at the target without increasing the height of the tank, as well as the clearance in the range from 200 mm to 600 mm.
The undercarriage includes six gable road wheels and three support rollers on board, rear drive wheels, and front guides. According to some information, two types of tracks have been developed for the Type 90 tank, which should be used depending on the operating conditions of the tank.
The tank is equipped with a two-stroke 10-cylinder V-shaped liquid-cooled turbocharged diesel engine developing a power of 1500 hp at 2400 rpm, a hydromechanical transmission with a lockable torque converter, a planetary gearbox and a hydrostatic transmission in the swing drive.
The mass of the transmission does not exceed 1900 kg, in total with the mass of the engine equal to 4500 kg, which corresponds to world standards. In total, the Japanese military industry produced about 280 tanks of this type. There is information about the curtailment of the production of the tank, including because of its high cost - 800 million yen (about $ 8 million) the cost of one vehicle, Japan plans to invest the released funds in the country's missile defense systems.
On the basis of the chassis of the Type 90 tank, a technical support vehicle with the same designation was developed (as you can see, in Japan, the existence of various vehicles with the same index is allowed).
The performance characteristics of the main battle tank Type 90
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Immediately after the creation of the Type 74 tank (morally obsolete almost at the design stage), the Japanese military leadership decides to create a more powerful, modern tank, completely manufactured at Japanese production facilities. This combat vehicle was supposed to be able to compete on equal terms with the main Soviet T-72 tank. As a result, the creation of the TK-X-MBT (machine index) began in 1982, in 1985 two prototypes of the tank were created, in 1989 the project was completed, in 1990 the tank was adopted by the Japanese army. The original Japanese solution is an automatic loader developed by Mitsubishi. The automated ammo rack is located in a developed niche of the tower. At the moment of loading, the gun must be locked in a horizontal position relative to the roof of the tower, which corresponds to a zero elevation angle. The crew of the tank is separated from the ammunition by an armored partition, and there are ejection panels in the roof of the turret niche, which contributes to an increase in the level of protection of the tank.
