Product Details

The Type 16 Maneuver Combat Vehicle is a wheeled tank destroyer of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. The Maneuver Combat Vehicle was part of a new armored vehicle strategy that prioritized light air-transportable firepower. Originally the number of main battle tanks was to be reduced from 760 to 390, with most remaining tanks to be concentrated on the islands of Hokkaido and Kyushu. Some 200-300 MCVs were to be procured and airlifted to islands when and where they were needed. The idea was that the smaller, lighter, and faster MCV could be redeployed quicker than tanks to better defend the outlying islands. However, as of 2015, with both growing tensions with Russia over the disputed Northern territories, and concerns that the MCV on its own would be insufficient against potential adversary amphibious and airborne armor systems, plans to reduce the numbers of existing main battle tanks (including procurement of the new Type 10 tank) in favor of buying MCVs and their support infrastructure are currently being reviewed.