- Yes!
- No.
Type 96 HATM, Tank Destroyer, Japan, Rank VI
This is a vehicle suggestion for the Type 96 armored personnel carrier equipped with a Type 79 Heavy Anti-Tank Guided Missile. This vehicle has been modified by the Unit Training Evaluation Team, well-known as the only opposing unit of the JGSDF. The purpose is to simulate enemy weapons not used by the Self-Defense Force. Although this vehicle is modified for training, the Type 79 ATGM itself is a real weapon and should be able to fire live rounds as normal. Pictures of this vehicle were first posted on the MARMOR website on February 5, 2024.
Additional photos were also uploaded on trafficnews.jp
The Type 79 anti-ship anti-tank guided missile of the evaluation support team, which is an aggressor unit. It used a laser built into the multiple integrated laser engagement system to fire, but it can also launch live ammunition.
Note that the small device attached above the aiming system is a training equipment and is unrelated to the weapon system.
The launcher is secured by ropes and positioned on the right side of the vehicle.
In the evaluation support team, the Type 79 anti-ship anti-tank guided missile is installed on the top of the Type 96 wheeled armored vehicle for operation.
The interior of the Type 96 is quite spacious, allowing for a decent amount of missiles to be stored inside. Developers may need to utilize their imagination to determine the best way to store spare missiles within the vehicle.
Few examples of how the launchers are typically transported.
In the Type 89 IFV:
Towing cart typically towed by a Type 73 light truck.
Perhaps modeling the missile racks inside the passenger compartment similar to how the missiles are stored inside the Type 60 ATM could be an option to explore.
Type 79 Heavy Anti-ship/Anti-tank Missile
Developed since 1964 and adopted in 1979, the Type 79 Heavy Anti-ship/Anti-tank Missile is a versatile missile capable of anti-tank and anti-ship combat. It followed the first anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) adopted by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, the “Type 64 ATGM.” Often abbreviated as “79 Heavy MAT,” it comprises two launchers (Type 1 and Type 2), aiming devices, distributors, and reel cords, forming one set. The equipment is mounted on two 1/2-ton trucks (Type 73 Small Trucks) and transported to deployment areas, where it is assembled for firing on the ground. Unlike the Type 64 ATGM, it cannot be fired from the vehicle itself.
However, the Type 89 Armored Combat Vehicle features two Type 79 Heavy ATGM launchers mounted on the turret’s side, enabling firing from the vehicle. The Type 79 Heavy MAT, like the Type 64 ATGM, utilizes wire-guided technology, providing advantages such as relatively lower costs and resistance to radio interference. Nonetheless, drawbacks include limitations on cable length and the potential for obstruction during flight. The warheads used vary depending on the target: shaped charge warheads for anti-tank combat and magnetic fuse warheads for anti-ship combat. Due to enhancements for defeating landing craft, the missile’s weight reaches up to 33kg.
Equipment Specifications:
- Standardization: 1979
- Missile Length: Approximately 1,570mm
- Missile Diameter: Approximately 150mm
- Missile Weight: 33kg
- Flight Speed: Approximately 200m/s
- Effective Range: Approximately 4km
- Guidance System: Wire-guided / Semi-automatic command to line of sight
- Equipment Composition:
-Launcher Type 1, Launcher Type 2
-Aiming frame, aiming device, distributor, reel cord - Transportation Method: Mounted on two 1/2-ton trucks
- Development: Ministry of Defense Technical Research and Development Institute (Currently: Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency)
- Manufacture:
-Missile, Launcher, etc.: Kawasaki Heavy Industries
-Carrying Vehicles: Mitsubishi Motors
Type 96 Wheeled Armored Personnel Carrier
The Type 96 Wheeled Armored Personnel Carrier (WAPC) was developed as the successor to the Type 73 armored vehicle and marks the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force’s first wheeled armored personnel carrier (APC).
Development began in 1992 at Komatsu Ltd., with prototype vehicles manufactured in 1994. Following technical and operational trials, it was officially adopted in 1996. Komatsu Ltd. had prior experience in developing wheeled armored vehicles, having previously developed the Type 82 command and communication vehicle.
The shift to wheeled APCs was prompted by the increased availability of paved roads across Japan compared to the past when many areas, especially mountainous regions, lacked proper road infrastructure. Additionally, wheeled vehicles generally have lower procurement and operating costs compared to tracked vehicles. Other advantages include reduced road damage on asphalt roads compared to tracked vehicles and quieter operation, enhancing stealth.
The 96 Type Wheeled Armored Personnel Carrier is categorized as a “Wheeled Armored Personnel Carrier” and abbreviated as WAPC.
Specifications:
- Official Adoption: 1996
- Price: Approximately 120 million yen
- Length: 6.84 meters
- Width: 2.48 meters
- Height: 1.85 meters
- Gross Weight: Approximately 14.5 tons
- Maximum Speed: 100 km/h
- Range: Over 500 kilometers
- Crew: 10 (1 driver, 1 commander, 8 rear crew)
- Engine: Mitsubishi 6D40 water-cooled inline 6-cylinder turbocharged diesel
- Power: 360 PS/2200 rpm
- Armament:
- 12.7mm Heavy Machine Gun M2 x 1
- Type 96 40mm Automatic Grenade Launcher x 1 (Note: Either one can be mounted on dedicated gun mounts)
- Development: Komatsu Ltd.
- Manufacture: Komatsu Ltd.
The Type 96 WAPC has three variants as follow:
Basic information about Type 96 40 mm grenade launcher:
Specification:
Caliber: 40×56mm
Actuation method: Blowback type
Bullet supply: 50 link belt
Weight: 24.5kg
Full length: 975mm
Gun length: 454mm
Rate of fire: 250-350 rounds/min
In the fiscal year 2008 budget, procurement of the enhanced armored version of the Type 96 Wheeled Armored Vehicle (II) has commenced. While modifications are geared towards international deployment missions, deployment to the 3rd Infantry Regiment and the Central Readiness Regiment has been confirmed. Additional armor is bolted onto the vehicle’s chassis for reinforcement. This upgraded version is referred to as the Type 96 Wheeled Armored Vehicle (II).
Why i made this suggestion: Given Japan’s current limited number of vehicles capable of launching ATGMs – in fact, only two are available, making it the fewest in the game – vehicles like the Type 96 HATM become necessary additions to fill these gaps. The Type 96 HATM would serve as an equivalent to other similar vehicles like the M113 TOW but with a slightly more unique aspect, being based on the Japanese indigenous platform and driving on wheels rather than tracks. Additionally, it also offers variable options such as equipping different guns or adding additional protection, which can be introduced as modifications for research, providing a variety of gameplay styles to choose from. I propose placing this vehicle somewhere between 8.0 or 8.3, providing the tech tree with both a new tank destroyer and an ATGM carrier.
This vehicle will share the same ATGM as the Type 89 already in the game:
