🇯🇵 Japan’s Ministry of Defense is considering omitting Type 10 tanks (10式戦車) for the Ground Self-Defense Force from its preliminary budget request for fiscal year 2027. Ground Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff Masayoshi Arai announced this at a regular press conference on September 15. He said the decision reflected the ongoing investigation into the accident on April 21, 2026, prioritizing identification of the cause and personnel safety. The accident occurred during live-fire training at the Hijudai training ground in Oita Prefecture. A 120 mm shell exploded inside a Type 10 tank’s turret, killing three crew members and seriously injuring another. Type 10 live-fire training was subsequently suspended pending completion of the investigation. Arai emphasized that funding for new vehicles would not be requested until the investigation’s findings were available, after which a final procurement decision would be made. #info #Japan #tank
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