Type 90

The Type 90 main battle tank was developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the Japan Ministry of Defense Technology Research and Development Institute (TRDI) to replace the Type 61 and supplement the Type 74. The vehicle was designed to counter the Soviet T-72. Development involved two initial prototypes equipped with a domestic 120mm smoothbore gun, followed by a second series of four prototypes built between 1986 and 1988. These later prototypes adopted the licensed Rheinmetall 120mm smoothbore gun. User trials concluded in 1989, and the vehicle officially entered service in 1990. Major subcontractors for the project included Japan Steel Works, Daikin Industries, Mitsubishi Electric, Fujitsu, and NEC.

The vehicle utilizes modular ceramic and steel composite armor. Its main armament is a licensed Rheinmetall 120mm L/44 smoothbore gun, which is integrated with a Mitsubishi-developed mechanical bustle autoloader. This conveyor-belt system allows for a three-man crew and provides a loading cycle of four to six seconds. Secondary armament consists of a turret-mounted 12.7mm M2HB machine gun and a coaxial 7.62mm machine gun. The fire control system includes a Yttrium-Aluminium-Garnet laser rangefinder with a range of 300 to 5,000 meters, a 32-bit ballistics computer, and thermal imaging. An automated tracking system is capable of engaging moving targets, including soldiers and helicopters, while the tank is in motion. The powerpack comprises a Mitsubishi 10-cylinder two-stroke diesel engine and an automatic transmission with four forward and two reverse gears. The suspension features hydropneumatic units on the front and rear road wheels that can be adjusted for uneven terrain.

The Type 90 is operated by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF). It is primarily assigned to units in Hokkaido, including the 7th Armored Division, the 2nd Division, and the 5th and 11th Brigades, as well as the Fuji School Brigade. This geographic concentration is due to the maneuvering space available in Hokkaido and the constraints of Japan's civil infrastructure. While the vehicle is compatible with approximately 65% of Japanese bridges, transportation is more restricted than for the lighter Type 74. The Type 90 has no history of combat or overseas deployment, though it is utilized in annual live-fire exercises at the Yakima Training Center in the United States. Production of the vehicle concluded in 2009 after several hundred units were manufactured, with subsequent procurement funding shifted toward the Type 10 tank.