Mysterious New Japanese Tank

February 25, 2008:  Japan has developed a new, lighter, MBT (main battle tank). The TK-X [VIDEO] weighs 44 tons, has a 120mm gun and costs $7 million each. The current tank, the Type 90, weighs 51 tons and was designed in the 1980s, and 315 were built before the Cold War ended.  It is similar to the German Leopard 2.

The TKX uses a new lightweight armor design. The Japanese aren't giving out any details on that. The ATX is also "all digital." The fighting compartment looks like something out of a science fiction movie, with plenty of computer displays showing what is going on inside, and outside, the tank. The three man crew rides in relative comfort, so as to reduce fatigue and keep everyone alert for combat.