Mitsubishi Type 74 The Mitsubishi Type 74 second generation MET took 11 years to develop from the conception stage to the preproduction series prototype configuration. It has subsequently been produced over a 16 year period from 1975 onwards at the ridiculously low average yearly rate of 50 odd vehicles. A fact which has made the Type 74 an inordinately expensive MET in terms of unit cost. It has, however, due to its crosslinked hydro-pneumatic suspension system - a very unusual aspect - the capability to raise or lower itself completely, to tilt itself either forwards or backwards and to incline itself to either side - so as to match its ground clearance to the terrain it is moving over or to
enable it to engage targets either high or lower than the main guns normal elevation/ depression limits can accommodate, The gun itself is a locally built Royal Ordnance 105 mm L7 series rilled tank gun firing APFSDS-T, HESH-T, APDS-T and smoke type ammunition. A basic computerised ballistic fire control system is used with inputs from a laser rangefinder module at the commander's sight assembly. The crew has an NBC system whilst a white light/infra-red searchlight is fitted to the left of the main gun for night fighting. The driver has a set of active infra-red night driving lights, A support variant of the basic Type 74 MET has been produced by fitting a
Japan bulldozer blade kit to the vehicle front. Additionally small numbers of the Type 78 ARVhave been built using the Type 74 chassis. The last combat variant is, however, the Type 87 twin 35 mm self-propelled anti-aircraft gun tank. A number are being produced on a modified Type 74 chassis to replace the fifties vintage American twin 40 mm M42 vehicles. The Type 87 has independent allweather search and tracking radars mounted on the rear of the turret which has the 35 mm automatic cannon mounted externally on either side in a Gepard-style arrangement.
