[Would you like to see this in-game?]
TL:DR: A Japanese wheeled APC fitted with a 40mm grenade launcher capable of penetrating around 75~mm of armor.
History:
Getting troops from point A to point B has been and always will be a requirement when it comes to any military worth their salt. Japan is one such military, however, after WW2, they didn’t have many options when it came to moving troops around automotively. Best they had were various trucks and M2/M3 halftracks, all of which lacked adequate protection for crew and dismounts due to being soft-skinned, open-topped, or even both. By the 1950s, this had become unacceptable and a project for a fully-tracked, fully-enclosed, and fully armored personnel carrier was started. The result would be the Type 60 APC, which enter service in 1960 and exit in 1973, being replaced by the more modern Type 73 APC. The Type 73 would serve as Japan’s only armored personnel carrier until the 1990s when it began to show its age. While the Type 73 could transport troops well enough, being tracked, it couldn’t do so as quickly as might be needed on Japan’s nearly 1 million kilometers of paved roads. As such, a project for a wheeled APC was started with the intention of supplementing and only partially replacing the Type 73 as a tracked APC did still have its merits. The result of the project would enter service in 1993 under the name of Type 93 Wheeled Armored Personnel Carrier (WAPC). Like most APCs, the Type 93 was capable of mounting weapons for both defensive and offensive purposes. When fitted with the 40mm Howa Type 93 automatic grenade launcher, the vehicle was referred to as Type A and when when fitted with an M2 Browning, the vehicle was referred to as Type B. The Howa Type 93 AGL is curiously chambered in 40x56, instead of the NATO standard of 40x53, meaning that it is incompatible with NATO standard high-velocity grenades, however, the internals of the GK20J HEDP grenade fired by the Type 96 and those of the American M430A1 HEDP, which can penetrate up to 76mm of armor, are nearly identical, meaning that GK20J should also be able to penetrate somewhere in the ballpark of 75~mm, which is more than Rh202 APDS. The Type 93 WAPC still serves to this day, however, it is soon to be replaced by the Patria AMV XP.
Place In War Thunder:
Automatic grenade launchers as a vehicle’s main weapon is an understandably controversial topic when it comes to their possible implementation into the game, however, it must be noted that this is largely due to one main factor: misunderstandings and lack of knowledge of the penetration capabilities of HEDP grenades. These misunderstandings combined with a poor muzzle velocity makes many people assume that a vehicle equipped only with an automatic grenade launcher would have to be placed at an uncomfortably low BR to be effective. Fortunately, this really isn’t the case. GK20J HEDP can penetrate around 75~mm of armor. Pair this with a quick wheeled platform that has a lot of empty space and what you get is essentially an autocannon carrier that just needs to get closer to its target. And even if you don’t get closer you have zero distance-based penetration drop off. There is no reason why vehicles equipped solely with AGLs would not be able to perform at suitable BRs in War Thunder. Playstyle would be rather unique, however, not completely unfamiliar. The Type 96 WAPC (A) would essentially like any other wheeled autocannon carrier. The main difference, again, is the required distance from your target to actually cause damage being much MUCH smaller, almost right on top of them, essentially promoting an incredibly suicidal playstyle. That being said, once you do get within range, you will not struggle to penetrate foe you may face, with your 75~mm of pen at 350rpm. Since this vehicle is in widespread service with the JSDF, it is only fitting that it see placement in the tech tree. Potentially filling the 6.7 - 7.7 gap in the light tank line. Since it would be slightly worse than the BTR-80A, an initial BR of 7.0 would be adequate.
Specifications:
Armament: 40mm Howa Type 96 AGL
Dimensions: 6.84m, 2.48m, 1.85m (L,W,H)
Weight: 14606kg
Armor: Proof against small arms fire and artillery splinters
Crew: 3
Ammunition: HEDP
Speed: 100kph
Horsepower: 360hp
Pictures:
3/4th View:
Rear View:
Multiple Type As:
Crew Close-Up:
GK20J and M430A1 HEDP Comparison:
Spoiler
Sources:
Type 96 | Weaponsystems.net
http://pewpewpew.work/japan/type96agl/type96agl.htm
96式装輪装甲車/WAPC/クーガー
Type 96 Armored Personnel Carrier - Wikipedia
Armored personnel carrier "Type 96" (Japan)
https://www.nationaldefensecorp.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/M430A1HedpHv.pdf