Hokkaido maintenance process ensures ideal performance for Japan’s main armor
Chitose, Japan – Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) is conducting a rigorous maintenance and review program of main type 10 battle tanks in its Chitose Specialized installation, located on Hokkaido Island. The initiative aims to restore the armored to their original performance after years of intense use, significantly prolonging their operational life.
Known as a process of “review and repair”, work is a critical intervention performed at the midpoint of vehicle life. Tanks and other tracked vehicles operate for decades under extreme conditions, requiring complete disassembly, meticulous inspections and detailed restoration to maintain their field efficiency.
Images released by MHI show a type 10 tower being accurately inspected at a dedicated station, where highly trained technicians use tools such as three -dimensional coordinates measurement machines and non -destructive inspection methods to detect microfissures and fatigue signs that escape visual observation.
Chitose installation acts as a National Center for Excellence for these works, receiving dozens of vehicles per year sent from military units from all over Japan. The process is performed under strict quality control and involves a series of standard steps, which include careful disassembly, specialized welders, structural restoration, engine and transmission tests, and complete verification of tower and hull systems.
In service since 2012, the Type 10 tank is the most modern armored in Japan, designed to operate with high mobility on the country’s rugged ground. Equipped with modular armor, network war capacity and a 120 mm cannon manufactured internally, the vehicle represents the backbone of Japanese terrestrial armored force. However, as MHI highlights, maintaining its strategic advantage depends on the continuity of review processes and technical update.
With this initiative, Japan reinforces its ability to maintain modern military vehicles operating with maximum efficiency, ensuring the readiness of self -defense forces in the face of growing geopolitical challenges in the region.
Source and images: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. This content was created with the help of AI and revised by the editorial team.
