The first prototype of a new eight-wheeled armored personnel carrier (APC) for use by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) has been developed to help defeat an invasion of any in a string of Japanese held islands in the East China Sea coveted by China.

The prototype of the recently unveiled "Wheeled Armored Vehicle (Improved)" will be the forerunner of a new class of infantry fighting vehicles that will replace the Type 96 Wheeled Armored Personnel Carrier in service with the JGSDF since 1996.

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Both wheeled APCs look alike to the untrained eye but it's "under the hood" where the superiority of the new APC lies.

Japan's Ministry of Defense said the new APC will feature improved protection against a variety of modern threats such as RPGs and IEDs (improvised explosive devices). The new machine will also be fitted with a more powerful engine and a strengthened suspension to cope with the increased weight and payloads.

Equally important is the machine's modular design that will confer a versatility and room for future growth in capabilities compared to the Type 96.

Built by Komatsu Limited, the prototype APC can carry 11 men: three crew members and eight dismounted infantrymen.

It will be fitted with a remote weapons station mounting either a Howa Type 96 automatic grenade launcher or a .50 caliber (12.7 mm) M-2HB machine gun. These are the same weapons mounted on the Type 96.

The prototype APC is 8.4 meters long; 2.5 meters wide; is 2.9 meters high and weighs about 20 tons.

Its engine is a 10.8 liter diesel engine capable of developing 500 horsepower (372.8 kilowatts), allowing the vehicle to attain a maximum speed of 100 kilometers per hour on paved roads.

The rear compartment will be modular in nature, and mission modules can be fitted on the APC as required by the mission. In addition to the basic APC variant, a communications support vehicle and an engineering variant were shown on the video released by the government.

Trials with the prototype are expected to last until 2019.  Production will follow.

Tagseight-wheeled armored personnel carrier, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, East China Sea, china, Wheeled Armored Vehicle (Improved), Komatsu Limited