According to pictures released to Twitter on January 19, 2020, the Japanese defense industry has developed a new tracked IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) platform. Previously, during a defense exhibition in Japan, the Japanese Company Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has unveiled a scale model of its new project of tracked armored vehicle platform based on a new design.

Japanese Experimental Future Tracked IFV Platform. (Picture source Twitter account Ninja998998)

The idea of this new tracked armored vehicle platform is to offer a common design to develop a new family of combat vehicles using the same main components like the suspension, engine, transmission, tracks, etc.

The new Mitsubishi tracked armored platform will have a length of 7 m, a width of 3.2 m and a height of 2.4 m. It will have a weight of 24 tons and could run at a maximum speed of 70 km/h.

Currently, the standard tracked IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) of the Japanese army is the Type 89 designed and manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries that entered in service with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force in 1989.

The hull of the Type 89 MICV is of all-welded armor construction which provides the crew with protection from small arms fire and shell splinters. The vehicle is fitted with a two-man power-operated turret is in the center of the hull, with the commander seated on the right and gunner on the left.

Main armament of the Type 89 consists of one Oerlikon Contraves 35 mm KDE cannon. A 7.62 mm Type 74 machine gun is mounted coaxially to the left of the main armament. Mounted either side of the turret is a single Jyu-MAT medium-range wire-guided anti-tank missile developed by Kawasaki Heavy Industries.

Japanese Army Type 89 tracked armored IFV Infantry Fighting Vehicle (Picture source Army Recognition)