Type 96 Armored Personnel Carrier

A Type 96 on display at JGSDF Camp Matsudo

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) M2HB machine gun (Type B). The passenger compartment has space for 8 infantrymen who can use 2 firing ports on each side.

As of 2001 Japan reported to the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs that 72 Type 96s were in service,[2] with an additional 22 procured that year. 365 vehicles had been produced as of 2014.

On 10 January 2017, a new 8×8 APC prototype called the Wheeled Armoured Vehicle (Improved) was handed off to the Japanese Armed Forces to replace the 365 Type 96 vehicles in service. Developed by the Japanese Defense Ministry in collaboration with Komatsu Limited, this next generation wheeled vehicle was designed to offer more protection against improvised explosive devices (IEDs) with a similar layout to the Patria AMV and Stryker providing the Japanese Army with a family of different vehicles on a common chassis. The new vehicle proposed is longer, higher and heavier than the Type 96.

The Wheeled Armoured Vehicle (Improved) prototype is 8.4 m (27 ft) long, 2.5 m (8 ft) wide, and 2.9 m (9 ft) high, weighing 20 tons and carries two crew and nine troops with a new more powerful 500 hp diesel engine and strengthened suspension to run at 100 km/h. The vehicle will equip JGSDF combat and combat-support units for peacekeeping operations as well as “counter island invasion” scenarios. Trials of the prototype were intended to continue until 2019. This has since been delayed due to issues with the armor quality of the prototypes, however trials were resumed again in May 2019.[3][4][5][6]

In June 2020, the Japan Ministry of Defence’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency and JGSDF confirmed they are still in the process of selecting a new wheeled armoured vehicle to replace the JGSDF’s ageing fleet of Komatsu Type 96 8×8 armoured personnel carriers.[7]

•  Japan: 365 (2014)

• Type 16 maneuver combat vehicle – another new 8x8 wheeled vehicle, similar in weight and length.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to JGSDF Type 96 Armoured Personnel Carrier.

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