The Type 61's design is conventional. The hull is of welded
construction and is divided into three compartments, driving
in the front, fighting in the center, and engine in the rear. The
commander and gunner sit in the turret on the right, the loader
in the turret on the left. The driver sits in the front of the hull
on the right-hand side.
*****************************
The turret is cast in one piece and resembles the American
M-47 with its large overhanging bustle. Armor is rather light
for a Main Battle Tank: only 2.5 inches maximum on the
turret face, 1.8 inches on the glacis down to a minimum of
.6 inch on the hull rear.
*****************************
The 90mm gun is fitted with a T-style muzzle brake and a
fume extractor to keep breech gases out of the tank. The gun
fires armor-piercing capped and high-explosive ammunition.
Secondary armament is based on the American pattern: A
7.62mm NATO machine gun mounted co-axially with the
main gun and a .50 caliber machine gun mounted on the turret
top for antiaircraft use. No nuclear-biological-chemical (NBC)
protection is fitted, although there is provision for storing
NBC protective clothing and respirators.
*****************************
An armored bridge-laying vehicle (Type 67), armored engineer
vehicle (Type 67), armored recovery vehicle (Type 70), and a
Type 61 training tank have also been designed and built. The
Type 61 tank was never exported.
Type 61 Main Battle Tank Specifications
The Type 61 Main Battle Tank was the first Japanese tank built
after World War II. It replaced models imported from the
United States, and was used solely by Japanese forces, having
never been exported. Find specifications of the Type 61
Main Battle Tank here:
Date of service: 1961
Country: Japan
Type: Main Battle Tank
Dimensions: Length, 6.3 m (20.6 ft); width, 2.95 m (9.7 ft);
height, 2.95 m (9.7 ft)
Combat weight: 35,000 kg (38.6 tons)
Engine: Mitsubishi Type 12, 12 cylinder air-cooled diesel
Armament: One 90mm Type 61 main gun; one 7.62mm
NATO Browning M1919A4 machine gun; one 12.5mm
.50 caliber Browning M2 HB machine gun
Crew: 4
Speed: 45 km/h (28 mph)
Range: 200 km (124 mi)
Obstacle/grade performance: 0.7 m (2.3 ft)
*****************************
Sadly their service record against their
main adversary during this period was
not stellar!
