MK-900 AFV series

MK-900 AFV

Type : Armored fighting vehicle

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Service : Since 2016
Users : Nanako Island

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Designer : Myokusan Koyobatshi Defence
Designed : 2015-2016
Manufacturer : MKDS
Unit Cost (APC) : NS$ 3.7 million (N£ 2.8 million)
Produced : 2016-present
Variants : See variants

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Crew : 2–3 (commander, driver, optional
gunner)
8 passengers
Length : 7.80 (25.5 ft)
Weight : 16 to 27 t (35,000 to 60,000 lb)
Width : 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in)
Height : 3.7 m (12 ft)

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Armor : 25 mm of depleted uranium,
titanium, tungsten, fiber glass mesh-reinforced
AR Type 88 (Chobham Armor) composite armor
against 30 mm penetrating shells and against
anti-tank mines and IEDs up to 10 kg IEDs

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Main Armament : see variants
Secondary Armament : See variants

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Engine : Okusa MRC7610 Diesel engine
500 h.p. (410 kW)
Power/weight : 25 h.p./t (20,5 kW/t)
Transmission : MS 1070RV automatic
(4 forward and 2 reverse)
Suspension : 8x8 hydropneumatic suspension
Ground Clearance : 0.60 m (1 ft and 12 in)
Fuel capacity : 304 l (80.3 US gal; 66.8 imp gal)
Operational range : 850 km (528 mi)
Speed : road: 105km/h (65mph)
water: 15km/h (9.3 mph)

The MK-900 Armored Fighting Vehicle series (sometimes styled MK-90x) is an 8x8 multi-role military vehicle model, chassis and base produced by the Nanakian defence industry company MKDS (Myokusan Koyobatshi Defence).

Designed to answer Nanako Defence Forces' modernization programme, first prototypes were produced in 2016. The great main feature of the MK-900s is its modular design. Based on a standardized chassis, it provides the MK-900 series a wide number of variants, with different incorporatable turrets, weapons, sensors, or communications systems on the same carriage, creating multiple potential variants and a very polyvalent vehicle. Designs exist for different APC vehicles (armoured personnel carrier), IFV versions (infantry fighting vehicle), communications versions, ambulances and different fire support versions, armed with large caliber mortar and gun systems. The vehicle has a very good level of mine protection and can withstand explosions of up to 10 kilograms (22 lb) TNT. The MK-900 has protection levels up to 35 mm APFSDS frontal arc. The other main feature of the APC is its very good mobility (combining speed, agility, amphibious capabilities, and crew comfort) in rough terrain, enabled by the sophisticated but solid hydropneumatic suspension adjusting each wheel individually.

These vehicles came into service in 2016, with Nanakian military designation Mark 90x (Mk. 90x, e.g.: Mk. 902 ..., for the many variants). The first "showcase" vehicle, the demo and inaugural model is the MK-900 Ussuri (Nanakian brown bear) IFV, miliary designation G-Mk.900 IFV, bearing a 40mm auto-cannon.

History

In an effort to maintain the technological strength of its armed forces, the "DF2050" program launched by the Ministry of Defense aimed to renew the fleet of land forces vehicles to better meet the objectives of the next half century. The Mark-90 research and development program was launched by MKDS to respond to the Government's call for tenders in July 2014. The first prototypes were built since then, and it was quickly brought to light that a chassis 8x8 would be perfect to meet the challenges of the vehicle. The MK-90x's predecessor, the MK-85x, was robust and efficient, but its replacement and maintenance required high engineering skills, and unit replacement was complicated by the build time of each unit. In addition, although very advantageous in terms of protection, the vehicle was almost made of a single large welded part, making maintenance very difficult. Thus, to meet an urgent need to improve the repairability and facilitate the manufacture of parts, the idea of a modular vehicle where all the parts would be interchangeable, modifiable and adjustable was directly studied.
The first prototypes tested by the army revealed the reliability of the vehicle, and also a great operational potential. The General Staff of the Armies saw in this project an exhilarating opportunity to considerably improve the versatility of its infantry brigades. The second family of prototypes, proposed at the end of 2015, confirmed the tendency of the armament department, and the addition of the amphibious capacity (already promised during the first prototypes but not yet implemented) allowed the official order of 680 units, and a large-scale renewal plan carrying up to nearly 2,000 units.

Each year, improvements were made to technological improvements in terms of embedded systems. In 2016 is introduced then adopted version MK-90A, with its unmanned turret, adopted as troop transport vehicle in August 2016. In 2018, MKDS acquired a test contract with the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, and won a full joint-developpment contract based on MK-90x technologies.

Service

The MK-900s have been operating in the Nanako Ground Self-Defense Force since Feburary 2016, with a first contract to replace the MK-500 as an IFV on a scale of 700 vehicles. Since 2018, the renewal plan for armored personnel carriers has been finalized at 65%. Nearly 950 units are in service in the mechanized brigades of the NGSDF. Their official denomination is Mk-90x, commonly called "Ussuri IFV". One of the most notable variants, the MK-90A, showcasing a remote-controlled 30mm weapon system has been adopted as standard troop carrier form most of NGSDF brigades, being considered the real successor of the MK-85. Its official designation is Mk. 90A Yamaneko APC, commonly called "RWS Ussuri".

The JGSDF, the Japanese land forces have shown interest in the work being done on the development of MK-900, and MK-90A. Field tests carried out by Mitsubishi in summer 2019 were promising and a joint collaborative project has been launched recently to create a Japanese version of the MK-900s.

Variants

Being the first choice armored combat vehicle of the NGSDF, and because of its modular nature, the MK-900 series is characterized by a multitude of variants, based on the chassis of the original MK-900, the IFV. Thus the series has a range of carried weapons systems ranging from 7.62mm caliber to 120mm mortar rounds.

Operators

Current operators

• The Confederation of Nanako Island: Nanako Ground Self-Defence Forces - 1,200 vehicles delivered, deliveries until 2022.

Potential future operators

• Japan: JGSDF - Mitsubishi have conducted field tests with trial versions of the MK-900 in summer 2019. A collaboration program between Mitsubishi and MKDS to develop a new APC inspiered of the MK-900 technologies for the Japanese defence force has been launched since then.