Any additional information available? This is big news. Not everyday someone comes up with a new tank. Looks a bit like a modernized type 90.
It's probably a 40ish-tonne class tank designed primarily for Japanese conditions. Small and agile with more ability to manoeuvre in narrow spaces and mountainous terrain.
It has 5 road wheels. Most tanks today have 7. So it's a lot shorter/smaller than today's MBTs while said to have equal protection. And one can't really put the tanks sights, prismas and electronics outside in order to make it look more high tech.
TK-X (MBT-X) project aims to build a new main battle tank, designated as Type 10, to replace and/or complement the existing Type 74 and Type 90 main battle tanks that are currently in service with the Japan Ground Self Defense Force. The development began in 1990s, and production is expected to start in 2010-2011. A prototype was revealed on February 13th, 2008 at TRDI in Sagamihara. Heavy emphasis was placed on C4I capabilities as well as increasing performance, firepower, defense and mobility. Several pictures were released in February 13th, 2008, when the vehicle was revealed to the media at TRDI in Sagamihara. From the pictures, it is clear that the Type 10 has sloped turret armor similar to the Leopard 2A5 and onwards, as well as a side profile similar to the Leclerc, thereby significantly improving the side armor in comparison to the Type 90. The Commander's Panoramic Sight has been moved to the right and is located at a higher position than the Type 90, giving the commander a wide range of view. The vehicle is expected to be armed with the 120 mm / L44 gun, license produced by Japan Steel Works, Ltd, although there is an option for L55 or a new barrel 50 caliber in length. The development costs so far is approximately JPY¥48,400,000,000, or approximately USD$447m. Each unit is expected to cost approximately JPY¥700,000,000, or USD$6.5m. Other rumors are as follows; * The main gun will have Burst mode. * It will use Continuously Variable Transmission. * It will use a 120mm smoothbore gun (Several options, including L44, L50 and L55.). Four kinds of prototype smoothbore guns were produced. The gun will be manufactured by Japan Steel Works, Ltd. * Autoloader will be present, with crew count of three. * Unlike the Type 90, the Type 10 will uses modular ceramic composite armour. * C4I will be present. * As with the Type 90, auto-tracking (a "lock-on" mode) for its Fire Control System will be present. * Equipped with hydropneumatic suspension, allowing the tank to adjust the bogies to slant in certain directions. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_10 Seems pretty high-tech to me for a MBT.
Wow, nobody has said anything about it's most important feature yet: past a certain rpm, VTEC kicks in and this tank goes real fast yo
In seriousness: a country as deeply in debt, with a stangant economy, facing demographic collapse like Japan probably could do without these rediculious make-work projects. What in gods name does Japan need tanks for (let alone a domestic design) consider they will never be deployed abroad?!?! (and Japan is an ISLAND!)