Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has showcased ongoing maintenance and overhaul work on the Type 10 main battle tank at its Chitose facility in Hokkaido.
The process, known as “overhaul and repair,” is a critical midpoint intervention in the vehicle’s service life, intended to restore the tank to its original performance level after years of intense use.
According to materials shared by the company, battle tanks and other tracked vehicles are operated in demanding conditions for decades, requiring periodic inspection, disassembly, restoration, and reassembly using specialized technologies and processes. These procedures are conducted under controlled factory conditions to ensure every major component—from the engine to the turret—is inspected and either repaired, reused, or replaced as needed.
Photos released by MHI show a Type 10 turret undergoing detailed diagnostics on a dedicated inspection stand before being reinstalled on the vehicle. Technicians in full safety gear are seen conducting precision checks using three-dimensional coordinate measuring machines, non-destructive inspection tools, and manual assessment methods to detect microcracks or material fatigue invisible to the naked eye.
The facility in Chitose serves as Japan’s central hub for this level of ground vehicle work. Dozens of vehicles are cycled through each year for what MHI describes as “complete restoration of functionality.” Tanks are transported from military units across the country to this site, where they undergo a carefully documented and repeatable overhaul process.
The overhaul process includes detailed disassembly with damage-avoidance techniques for reusable components, welding repairs to specialized steel and lightweight alloys, restoration of structural alignment, and comprehensive drivetrain and engine tests. The final phase involves a full-system verification of turret and hull functionality by trained quality control specialists.
The Type 10 main battle tank, developed by MHI and in service since 2012, remains Japan’s most modern armored vehicle. The platform is known for its compact design, modular armor, and high mobility, particularly in Japan’s mountainous and urban terrain. While the tank is capable of networked warfare and features a domestically produced 120mm smoothbore cannon, regular refurbishment remains essential to preserve its edge on the battlefield.