Japanese wheeled combat vehicles: procurement driven by operational realities
The Common Tactical Wheeled Vehicle currently being procured by the Japanese Self-Defence Forces. (Photo: JGSDF)
Japan’s armoured forces are currently undergoing a doctrinal shift from tracked to wheeled vehicles. This represents a major change in the country’s force structure and armoured capabilities.
There is a recurring trend in defence procurement in which governments adopt new military doctrine or announce new defence postures but do not alter their established procurement plans. It is often easier to continue old patterns than to adapt to new realities.
One country whose procurement actually appears to be influenced by its doctrine is Japan. In recent years, Japan has shifted away from heavier tracked vehicles towards lighter, more manoeuvrable wheeled vehicles. This movement has been driven by the changing security threat in Japan’s neighbourhood, with increasing tensions with China and North Korea forcing Japan to reappraise its force
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