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Type 16 MCV: Elite Marksman
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The Type 16 MCV is a modern Japanese wheeled tank destroyer, developed in the early 2000’s for rapid deployment in the event of an outbreak of hostilities. Coming soon to War Thunder with update 1.89,  Japanese tankers in the game may look forward to including this highly sophisticated war machine into their high tier lineups!

Briefly: A modern Japanese tank destroyer, offering excellent mobility and firepower on a lightly armored wheeled chassis.

History

In the early 2000’s, Japan sought to develop a new combat vehicle to extend the operational mobility of their armored units. Furthermore, the new vehicle was supposed to counter the limitations of existing tracked vehicles, be able to rapidly respond to emerging threats in the event of an outbreak of hostilities and possess the ability to be airlifted or ocean transferred to more distant areas of operations, such as the Japanese island of Okinawa.

Thus, in 2007, engineers at Mitsubishi began development on what would become the Type 16 MCV. To satisfy all the requirements, it was clear from the onset that a lightly armored, yet highly mobile and well-armed wheeled vehicle would need to be developed. Already, by 2008, the order for four prototypes was issued, with deliveries going on until 2013.

Army trials of the vehicle went on until 2016, when after successfully passing them, it officially entered service with the JSDF under the designation “Type 16 MCV”. Production began in the same year (2016), and is still ongoing today. Presently, around 100 Type 16 MCVs have been built and commissioned into service, with no units seeing combat action thus far.  

Type 16 MCV, tank destroyer, Japan, Rank VII.

Pros

  • Excellent mobility
  • Potent top ammunition

Cons

  • Thin armor

In War Thunder, the Type 16 MCV will be a new addition, coming to rank VII of the Japanese ground forces tree with the release of the upcoming update 1.89. Sharing not only a certain degree of visual similarity, but also performance with the Italian B1 Centauro, the Type 16 MCV will provide Japanese tankers with a unique new tank destroyer, which thanks to its design, is unlike any other found on previous ranks!

Similarly to a number of existing high-ranking Japanese ground vehicles, namely the Type 74 family, the Type 16 MCV too is armed with a 105mm rifled cannon, which forms its primary armament. This, in combination with the presence of familiar ammunition types, including the very powerful Type 93 APFSDS round, will not only allow experienced tankers to easily transition over to the Type 16 MCV, but will also allow them to dispatch enemies just as effectively.

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For those tankers that always felt like the Type 74 wasn’t mobile enough, well, they’ll be in for a ride with the Type 16 MCV. Quite literally! Although possessing similar firepower to its tracked counterpart, the Type 16 offers unrivaled mobility when compared to any other Japanese ground vehicle currently in War Thunder. Being able to achieve a top speed of 100 km/h on roads thanks to its 570 horsepower engine, the Type 16 MCV is sure to leave no tanker with a soft spot for mobility unimpressed.

However, while mobility and firepower are the definite highlights of the Type 16, its protection is certainly such as can be expected from a light wheeled combat vehicle. As such, the Type 16 can, thanks to highly angled and spaced armor on the front sections of the hull and turret, deflect smaller caliber cannon fire and less effective chemical rounds. The vehicle’s sides and rear however, are protected well enough to only absorb high-caliber machine gun fire, while anything larger than that will likely pose a serious threat to the internal modules and crew.

Furthermore, the Type 16 MCV is quite a large vehicle for what it is. In fact, its height is comparable to most top MBTs currently present in the game. Therefore, aspiring commanders of this machine will have to rely on not just getting the most out of its excellent mobility and firepower, but also on clever positioning and tactical maneuvering in order to circumvent this notable drawback.

The Type 16 MCV will become available to all players at Rank VII of the Japanese ground forces tree with the release of the upcoming update 1.89. In the meantime, make sure to stay tuned for more news on the next major update coming to the game very soon. Until then, happy hunting commanders!


The War Thunder Team

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