Type 90 Kyū - maru The is the current main battle tank ( MBT ) of the Japan Ground Self - Defense Force ( JGSDF ) . It is built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and was designed as a replacement for all deployed Type 61 s and a portion of their Type 74 tanks , and entered service in 1990 . It is slated to be complemented by the Type 10 tank . Manufacturing cost . The Type 90 has an approximate unit cost of 790 million Japanese yen or approximately 7 . 4 million US dollar s at 2008 exchange rates . History . After the adoption of the Type 74 , the Japanese High Command was already looking for a superior , completely indigenous tank design to defeat the Soviet T - 72 . As a result , development of a prototype , the TK - X MBT began between 1976 and 1977 . Joint development was performed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and leadership of TRDI ( Japan Defence Agency ' s Technology Research and Development Institute ) . Major subcontractors include Japan Steel Works , Daikin Industries , Mitsubishi Electric , Fujitsu and NEC . Requirements of the Type 90 were completed in 1980 with two prototypes , both armed with a Japanese 120 mm gun ( product by Japan Steel Works Limited ) firing Japanese ammunition ( product by Daikin Industries Limited ) , completed in 1982 to 1984 . Testing , improvements ( Turret and half Modular type ceramic composite armour ) , and designs were modified and constructed until 1986 . A second series of four prototypes was built between 1986 and 1988 which incorporated changes as a result of trials with the first two prototypes . These were armed with the Rheinmetall 120 mm smoothbore gun also fitted to the German Leopard 2 and , in a modified version , in the US M1A1 / M1A2 Abrams MBT . These second prototypes were used for development and then user trials , all of which were completed by 1989 , before Japan formally acknowledged the Type 90 in 1990 . With the exception of the 120 mm smoothbore gun , which is made under licence from Rheinmetall of Germany , the Type 90 and its subsystems are all designed and built in Japan . Design . Armament . The Type 90 mounts a licensed copy of the German Rheinmetall L44 120 mm smoothbore cannon product by Japan Steel Works Limited . This is the same gun that is mounted on the German Leopard 2 , American Abrams , and the South Korean K1A1 tanks . Before Rheinmetall ' s gun was selected , Japan has successfully produced a domestic version of the 120 mm smoothbore for testing , but the lower cost of the Rheinmetall ' s gave it an advantage over the domestic version . Since its introduction , there have been several upgrades to the fire - control system including the addition of a Yttrium - Aluminium - Garnet laser rangefinder with a range of 300 to 5 , 000 meters , a 32 - bit ballistics analysis computer , an improved thermal imaging systems and Automated - tracking systems as well as improved gun stabilization . The FCS also has an automated tracking systems and is capable of engaging moving or stationary targets while moving at day and night . The automatic target tracking system uses a thermal image display which can be controlled by either the tank gunner or commander . It is capable of tracking soldiers , vehicles and helicopters . The targeting computer can also calculate lead on moving targets . The commander ' s sight consists of a 3× / 10× ( day - only sight ) . The sight can track vertically from −29 to + 29 degrees , as well as track horizontally through 180 degrees . The gunners sight has a 10 x zoom . The gun is armed and loaded through a mechanical bustle autoloader , developed by Mitsubishi of Japan . This design allows the tank crew to operate without a loader , which allows the use of a smaller turret . The autoloading can reload in around two seconds , and the practical auto - loading and firing cycle for one target will be around 4 – 6 seconds . Mounted in front of the gunner ' s hatch on the turret is the ubiquitous Browning M2 machine gun , manufactured under license by Sumitomo Heavy Industries , part of the Sumitomo Group . In addition to the . 50 - caliber machine gun is a Japanese - built 7 . 62 mm machine gun mounted coaxially to the left of the main gun . Armor . The profile of the Type 90 is similar to the original German Leopard 2 without the sloped armor , ( Leopard 2 to 2A4 ) but unlike the Leopard 2 , the Type 90 uses modular ceramic and steel composite armor , common in contemporary post - 1990s tank designs . The adoption of modular composite armor design facilitates the upgrading and exchange of the armor , and its frontal armor is tested to be effective against JM - 33 120 mm APFSDS projectiles from the L44 gun , while the side armor of the turret is capable of defeating up to 35 mm APDS ( Armor penetration of 90 millimeters of RHA at one kilometer ) projectiles . The Type 90 is smaller than most main battle tanks with a height of 2 . 33 meters , a width of 3 . 33 meters , and weighing in at 50 . 2 tonnes . It was designed with a distinctive low - slung turret with boxy , vertical sides and a long overhanging bustle . In comparison , the Leopard 2A4 ' s dimensions are 2 . 48 meters high and 3 . 70 meters with a weight of 55 . 2 tonnes . Mobility . The Powerpack of the Type 90 tank has the Mitsubishi 10ZG32WT 10 cylinder two stroke cycle diesel engine providing 1500 hp , coupled with Mitsubishi MT1500 automatic transmission ( forward gears 4 , reverse gears 2 ) , manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries ( designated 10ZG32WT , MT1500 ) . The development of the 10ZG32WT prototype was started in 1972 and was finished in 1982 . It can attain a top output of 1 , 120 kW ( 1 , 500 horsepower ) . The hydropneumatic suspension units are mounted on the front and rear pair of road wheels , which can be adjusted on - the - fly to deal with uneven terrain , a requirement on Japan ' s rough , mountainous terrain . According to the Japanese Ministry of Defense official data report , the acceleration of the type is 0 – 200 m in 20 seconds . See also . Type 61 - Type 74 - Type 90 - Type 10