Type 87 Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun
In service 1987 - In service
Based onType 74 (derived from)
A twin 35 mm anti-aircraft vehicle on the Type 74 tank chassis, with search and tracking radars on the turret roof. Known in service as the "Guntank".
Built byMitsubishi Heavy Industries / Japan Steel Works
Development history
Japan's air defence of its armoured formations rested on towed guns and man-portable missiles until the Type 87 arrived. The design pairs the proven Type 74 tank hull with a new welded turret mounting two Oerlikon 35 mm KDA cannon, a search radar at the rear of the turret and a tracking radar at the front, both of which fold down for travel. The concept and layout closely parallel the German Gepard, which Japan evaluated before choosing a domestic solution. At roughly the cost of a main battle tank each, procurement was slow and only about fifty were built, concentrated with the tank regiments most likely to face air attack. It remains in Japanese service.