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Type 73 APC

1973 ARMORED PERSONNEL CARRIER COLD WAR MODERN

History

In 1967, the Japan Defense Agency ordered a new armored personnel carrier as the successor to the SU-60, the original vehicle that became the first APC produced in post-war Japan. The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) needed a modern vehicle with an adequate level of protection in the new era of armored combat, as well as higher road speeds (at least 60 km/h) and improved interior space for up to nine infantry. In addition, the hull needs to have amphibious capability to serve naval and army units, a muzzle that allows the crew to engage in vehicle safety, and protection from small arms fire and artillery jets.

In all respects, this will be a very traditional APC of the Cold War era. Adopted in 1973, the vehicle remains an active part of the JGSDF to this day (2014), with around 338 examples produced under the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) brand.

The new requirements fell on MHI and Komatsu, the major players in the heavy industry market. Each focus was commissioned to provide two prototypes - the first with a steel shell and the second with an aluminum shell - for evaluation, and pilot vehicles arrived quickly in 1969.

The car was selected prior to the Komatsu bid, resulting in the Type 73 APC-Line rising.

The final product is a 14.5 ton vehicle with a barrel 19 feet long, 9.2 feet wide and 7.2 feet high. Its standard operator consists of four people - driver, commander, main gunner and bow gunner (optional) - and can accommodate up to nine passengers. The main weapon is a 12.7mm Browning M2HB heavy machine gun mounted on top of the turret.

A 7.62mm Browning M1919A4 machine gun mounted in the bow mount. It is powered by a single air-cooled 4-cylinder Mitsubishi 4ZF diesel engine with 300 hp. Unlike other modern APCs, the Type 73 has the engine mounted in the center of the fuselage. The undercarriage of the track wheel arrangement consists of five twin tire wheels on one side of the fuselage and a drive sprocket at the front and track idler at the rear. Track return rollers are not used.

The hull is mounted on a torsion bar suspension system. The vehicle can then reach a top speed of 43 mph on ideal surfaces. The range is up to 190 miles.

With a centralized engine arrangement, the Type 73 had a different interior seating arrangement than competing designs of the time. The driver was seated in the front right, the gunner on his left. Then the driver sat directly in the position of the archer.

The main gunner sat at a station behind the driver. Since the engine then takes up the space in the middle, the cabin is located at the rear. The main gunner uses a large-caliber machine gun to perform a full 360-degree turn, covering all angles of attack approaching enemy aircraft, vehicles and infantry. The Bow Gunner used a ball-mounted machine gun that provided only a limited arc of fire that was best suited for infantry suppression.

In addition to the weapons, the Type 73 is equipped with six smoke grenade launchers - mounted in two rows of three - which are used to protect the vehicle during maneuvers.

The passenger compartment has exposed launch ports on both sides of the hull. There are additional launch ports on the two entry/exit doors on the rear fuselage fairing. The doors are hinged outwards, providing some ballistic protection for disembarking infantrymen. The NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) kit proved to be standard, as did the infrared equipment. While the Type 73 was designed for amphibious operations, it required preparation before entering water.

Also, it has no water jets, so the moving effect of its chain is used as propulsion. However, this results in a maximum water speed of just 4 miles per hour.

Although Mitsubishi's modern Type 89 infantry fighting vehicle has arrived, the Type 73 is still in heavy service with the JGSDF. The Type 89 entered service in 1989 and has reached production numbers of around 70 vehicles - keep in mind that the two vehicles played different battlefield roles in the Japanese Army.

The JGSDF also uses a command car variant based on the Type 73 hull. The model features its raised roofline as well as other communications equipment carried on board.

The chassis also forms vehicle components for the Type 74 Self-Propelled Gun (SPG) and Type 75 Multiple Rocket System (MLRS) in service with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.