Japan's innovative tank defense: Battling drone threats
Like other armed forces around the world, Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force (Rikujō Jieitai) is closely observing the war in Ukraine and experimenting with various ideas. One such concept involves cages on tanks, fitted onto Type 90 and Type 10 machines.
Photos have surfaced online of Japan's Type 90 and Type 10 tanks during tests at a training ground on the island of Hokkaido. They depict these machines with a familiar "roof" on the turret, reminiscent of those seen in the war in Ukraine. This solution does not protect against modern anti-tank weapons but is useful against small explosives dropped by drones.
Against FPV drones, it is unlikely to be effective because the roof, judging by the photos, is mounted about 1 metre above the tank's roof, leaving ample space on the sides for a drone to enter underneath.
Roofs on Japanese tanks — a desperate method against drones
It is worth noting that these roofs, sometimes even multi-layered, were first used by the Russians in 2022 as a method of defence against FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank guided missiles. While they proved useless against such threats, they may offer some protection against light anti-tank charges like bomblets or old anti-tank grenades dropped vertically.
This is the type of arsenal FPV drones or bombing drones, collectively known as "Baba Yaga," can deploy. In such instances, detonating something like a PG-7VL grenade capable of piercing 500 mm of armour steel a metre from the armour significantly limits its effectiveness. This way, the top armour of the tank, which is weakest from above, may withstand such a hit. There's always a chance that the grenade could get stuck in the mesh without exploding or that it might bounce off.
The downside, however, is the significant reduction in camouflaging capabilities and, in theory, the difficulty in exiting the tank or operating the Browning M2 heavy machine gun located on top of the turret.
Overall, this is a desperate last-resort solution against bombing drones. However, during the research phase, a dedicated means is likely being developed to counter drones. For instance, the South Korean K2 tank, showcased at the MSPO 2024 trade fair, featured an active defence system and a remotely controlled turret for drone hunting.
Type 90 and Type 10 Tanks - The armoured core of the Self-Defense Forces
The Type 90 tank, introduced into service in 1990, is conceptually similar to the Leopard 2 but with local modifications. These include the use of an autoloader in the turret's niche, akin to the French Leclerc, which allows the crew to be reduced to three soldiers and permits the use of a smaller turret.
This design result in a heavily protected machine with a weight of 56 tonnes. Interestingly, the main armament is a licensed 120 mm calibre cannon from Rheinmetall, used in other Western tanks.
The Type 10, in service since 2012, can be simply described as a digitised and lighter-weight version of the Type 90, reduced by about 5 tonnes. The high level of digitisation significantly enhances battlefield efficiency, and the lower weight allows for compatibility with most Japanese bridge infrastructure. Interestingly, this reduction in weight was not achieved by compromising protection, as it is reportedly higher than that of the Type 90.
