Type 96 Armored Personnel Carrier

Type 96 Wheeled Armored Personnel Carrier
A Type 96 of the JGSDF displayed at Camp Shimoshizu
Type	Armored personnel carrier
Place of origin	Japan
Service history
In service	1996 - present
Used by	Japan
Production history
Manufacturer	Komatsu
Unit cost	1.6 million $
Produced	1996-present
Number built	365 (2014)
Specifications
Weight	14.6 tonnes (16.1 short tons)
Length	6.84 metres (269 in)
Width	2.48 metres (98 in)
Height	1.85 metres (73 in)
Crew	2 + 8
Main armament	1x Type 96 40mm Automatic grenade launcher or 1x 12.7 mm M2HB machine gun
Engine	Mitsubishi 6D40 water-cooled 6-cylinder diesel 360 hp
Suspension	8x8 wheeled
Operational range	500 kilometres (310 mi)
Speed	100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) (road)

The Type 96 Wheeled Armored Personnel Carrier (96式装輪装甲車, kyuu-roku-shiki-sourin-soukou-sya) is an armoured vehicle that entered service with Japan in 1996.

Description

The driver sits on the right side of the vehicle with the engine to his left. His position is fitted with three periscopes, the center of which can be replaced by a passive night vision periscope. For service in Iraq it appears that his position was fitted with an assembly of three windows to enable him to drive with his head out of the vehicle for greater situational awareness while still protected from small-arms fire. Behind him is the commander/gunner in a cupola that traverses 360° that can carry either a 40 mm grenade launcher (Type A) or a .50 caliber (12.7 mm) M-2HB machine gun (Type B). The passenger compartment has space for 8 infantrymen who can use 2 firing ports on each side. Photographic evidence shows no sign of any firing ports in the rear ramp despite numerous assertions to the contrary, unless they've been deleted or added at some point during the production run.

As of 2001 Japan reported to the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs that 72 Type 96s were in service, with an additional 22 procured that year.

A Type 96 on display at JGSDF Camp Matsudo

Operators

• Japan: 365 (2014)

External links

• Type 96 on military-today.com
• Type 96 on globalsecurity.org
• excerpt from Jane's Armour and Artillery 2008