Mitsubishi Type 73 Light Truck
Encyclopedia
The is a series of light trucks that are used as mini SUV
s in the JSDF
. They have been under production by Mitsubishi Motors
since 1973. In JSDF service, it is officially known as the 1/2 Ton Truck.
Both Kyū and Shīn light truck vehicles can be outfitted with various weapon systems such as Kawasaki Type 64 anti-tank pods
, Kawasaki Type 79
and Kawasaki Type 87
anti-tank missile launchers, Komatsu Type 60 recoilless rifles
, Sumitomo MINIMI LMGs
and Sumitomo M2 machine guns to make them both a mobile anti-tank and anti-personnel vehicle.
s that Mitsubishi Motors
had been producing under license from Willys
. The first Type 73 Kyūs had been placed into production in 1973 with the chassis of the Jeep CJ-3B
for basis before they made modifications based on it to create the Mitsubishi CJ-3B-J4
and the Mitsubishi CJ-3B-J4C
before it was replaced again by producing the Mitsubishi CJ-5A-J54A
. Production continued on before it ended in 1997 after the Type 73 Light Truck Shins were placed in production by 1996.
The Kyūs had been exported out of Japan
, mostly declared as military surplus vehicles
to the Philippines
and South Vietnam
with the latter using it as one of the main jeeps of the ARVN
next to the Willys M606
and M38A1
s in the course of the Vietnam War
. They had been exported to New Zealand
for civilian use.
began to slowly phase out the Type 73 Light Truck Kyūs from production and from selective service in the JSDF
, using the frame of the Mitsubishi Pajero
as a basis.
The Type 73 Light Truck Shin can be mounted with various heavy machine guns and anti-tank missile launchers. But like its predecessor, the Shīn Light Trucks can mount the Sumitomo M2 machine guns and, for the first time, the Sumitomo MINIMI Light Machine Gun
.
When Shin Light Trucks were deployed to Iraq as part of the JIRSG, the vehicles were made bulletproof due to serious concern that Iraqi guerrillas
would target their vehicles to potentially cause provocation
s despite the fact that JSDF
units deployed to Iraq are not supposed to participate in any kind of combat operations due to the restrictions placed by Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution
.
, roof-mounted single beacons and grille flashers. The Light Trucks were painted in white as they were exclusively used by JSDF
military police units
.
for a short time in the 1950s and 60s. - Main jeep used in the ARVN
with Willys M606
, Ford M151s and M38A1
s.
Mini SUV
Mini SUV is a class of small sport utility vehicles with a length under . This class should not be confused with compact SUV, which refers to slightly larger vehicles, from ....
s in the JSDF
Japan Self-Defense Forces
The , or JSDF, occasionally referred to as JSF or SDF, are the unified military forces of Japan that were established after the end of the post–World War II Allied occupation of Japan. For most of the post-war period the JSDF was confined to the islands of Japan and not permitted to be deployed...
. They have been under production by Mitsubishi Motors
Mitsubishi Motors
is a multinational automaker headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. In 2009 it was the fifth-largest Japan-based automaker and the 17th-largest in the world measured by production...
since 1973. In JSDF service, it is officially known as the 1/2 Ton Truck.
Both Kyū and Shīn light truck vehicles can be outfitted with various weapon systems such as Kawasaki Type 64 anti-tank pods
Type 64 MAT
The was a Japanese wire guided anti-tank missile developed during the late 1950s. The missile is a broadly similar to the Swiss/German Cobra and the 9M14 Malyutka...
, Kawasaki Type 79
Type 79 Jyu-MAT
The is a Japanese SACLOS guided anti-tank missile that entered service with the JGSDF in 1984. It was initially issued to coastal defence units, intended to destroy troop and vehicle landing ships as they approached the shoreline. It is also known as KAM-9....
and Kawasaki Type 87
Type 87 Chu-MAT
The Chū-MAT is a Japanese laser guided anti-tank missile in service with the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces. It had been created as a front-line replace for the Type 64 MAT, pressed into service with the Type 79 Jyu-MAT.-History:...
anti-tank missile launchers, Komatsu Type 60 recoilless rifles
M40 recoilless rifle
The M40 recoilless rifle was a lightweight, portable, crew-served 105 mm weapon intended primarily as an anti-tank weapon made in the United States...
, Sumitomo MINIMI LMGs
FN Minimi
The Minimi is a Belgian 5.56mm light machine gun developed by Fabrique Nationale in Herstal by Ernest Vervier. First introduced in 1974, it has entered service with the armed forces of over thirty countries...
and Sumitomo M2 machine guns to make them both a mobile anti-tank and anti-personnel vehicle.
First generation
The first production of the Type 73, known as the was based on the Jeep CJ-3BJeep CJ
The Willys CJ is a public version of the famous Willys Military Jeep from World War II.The first CJ prototype was introduced in 1944 by Willys, and the same basic vehicle stayed in production through seven variants and three corporate parents until 1986.A variant of the CJ is still in production...
s that Mitsubishi Motors
Mitsubishi Motors
is a multinational automaker headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. In 2009 it was the fifth-largest Japan-based automaker and the 17th-largest in the world measured by production...
had been producing under license from Willys
Willys
Willys was the brand name used by Willys-Overland Motors, an American automobile company best known for its design and production of military Jeeps and civilian versions during the 20th century.-Early History:In 1908, John Willys bought the Overland Automotive Division of Standard Wheel Company...
. The first Type 73 Kyūs had been placed into production in 1973 with the chassis of the Jeep CJ-3B
Jeep CJ
The Willys CJ is a public version of the famous Willys Military Jeep from World War II.The first CJ prototype was introduced in 1944 by Willys, and the same basic vehicle stayed in production through seven variants and three corporate parents until 1986.A variant of the CJ is still in production...
for basis before they made modifications based on it to create the Mitsubishi CJ-3B-J4
Jeep CJ
The Willys CJ is a public version of the famous Willys Military Jeep from World War II.The first CJ prototype was introduced in 1944 by Willys, and the same basic vehicle stayed in production through seven variants and three corporate parents until 1986.A variant of the CJ is still in production...
and the Mitsubishi CJ-3B-J4C
Jeep CJ
The Willys CJ is a public version of the famous Willys Military Jeep from World War II.The first CJ prototype was introduced in 1944 by Willys, and the same basic vehicle stayed in production through seven variants and three corporate parents until 1986.A variant of the CJ is still in production...
before it was replaced again by producing the Mitsubishi CJ-5A-J54A
Jeep CJ
The Willys CJ is a public version of the famous Willys Military Jeep from World War II.The first CJ prototype was introduced in 1944 by Willys, and the same basic vehicle stayed in production through seven variants and three corporate parents until 1986.A variant of the CJ is still in production...
. Production continued on before it ended in 1997 after the Type 73 Light Truck Shins were placed in production by 1996.
The Kyūs had been exported out of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, mostly declared as military surplus vehicles
Military surplus
Military surplus are goods, usually matériel, that are sold or otherwise disposed of when no longer needed by the military. Entrepreneurs often buy these goods and resell them at surplus stores. Military surplus rarely includes weapons or munitions, though they are occasionally found in such stores...
to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
with the latter using it as one of the main jeeps of the ARVN
Army of the Republic of Vietnam
The Army of the Republic of Viet Nam , sometimes parsimoniously referred to as the South Vietnamese Army , was the land-based military forces of the Republic of Vietnam , which existed from October 26, 1955 until the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975...
next to the Willys M606
Willys MB
The Willys MB US Army Jeep and the Ford GPW, were manufactured from 1941 to 1945. These small four-wheel drive utility vehicles are considered the iconic World War II Jeep, and inspired many similar light utility vehicles. Over the years, the World War II Jeep later evolved into the "CJ" civilian...
and M38A1
Willys MB
The Willys MB US Army Jeep and the Ford GPW, were manufactured from 1941 to 1945. These small four-wheel drive utility vehicles are considered the iconic World War II Jeep, and inspired many similar light utility vehicles. Over the years, the World War II Jeep later evolved into the "CJ" civilian...
s in the course of the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. They had been exported to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
for civilian use.
Second generation
The began production in 1996 as Mitsubishi MotorsMitsubishi Motors
is a multinational automaker headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. In 2009 it was the fifth-largest Japan-based automaker and the 17th-largest in the world measured by production...
began to slowly phase out the Type 73 Light Truck Kyūs from production and from selective service in the JSDF
Japan Self-Defense Forces
The , or JSDF, occasionally referred to as JSF or SDF, are the unified military forces of Japan that were established after the end of the post–World War II Allied occupation of Japan. For most of the post-war period the JSDF was confined to the islands of Japan and not permitted to be deployed...
, using the frame of the Mitsubishi Pajero
Mitsubishi Pajero
The Mitsubishi Pajero is a sport utility vehicle manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors. It was named after Leopardus pajeros, the Pampas Cat which is native to the Patagonia plateau region of southern Argentina. However, since pajero is an offensive term for "wanker" in Spanish, alternative names have...
as a basis.
The Type 73 Light Truck Shin can be mounted with various heavy machine guns and anti-tank missile launchers. But like its predecessor, the Shīn Light Trucks can mount the Sumitomo M2 machine guns and, for the first time, the Sumitomo MINIMI Light Machine Gun
FN Minimi
The Minimi is a Belgian 5.56mm light machine gun developed by Fabrique Nationale in Herstal by Ernest Vervier. First introduced in 1974, it has entered service with the armed forces of over thirty countries...
.
When Shin Light Trucks were deployed to Iraq as part of the JIRSG, the vehicles were made bulletproof due to serious concern that Iraqi guerrillas
Iraqi insurgency
The Iraqi Resistance is composed of a diverse mix of militias, foreign fighters, all-Iraqi units or mixtures opposing the United States-led multinational force in Iraq and the post-2003 Iraqi government...
would target their vehicles to potentially cause provocation
Provocation
Provocation and provoke may refer to:* Provocation , a type of legal defense in court which claims the "victim" provoked the accused's actions...
s despite the fact that JSDF
Japan Self-Defense Forces
The , or JSDF, occasionally referred to as JSF or SDF, are the unified military forces of Japan that were established after the end of the post–World War II Allied occupation of Japan. For most of the post-war period the JSDF was confined to the islands of Japan and not permitted to be deployed...
units deployed to Iraq are not supposed to participate in any kind of combat operations due to the restrictions placed by Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution
Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution
Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution is a clause in the National Constitution of Japan that prohibits an act of war by the state. The Constitution came into effect on May 3, 1947, immediately following World War II. In its text, the state formally renounces war as a sovereign right and bans...
.
Variants
While there are no variants to either the Kyū and Shin Light Trucks, a small numbers were produced with small megaphonesMegaphone
A megaphone, speaking-trumpet, bullhorn, blowhorn, or loud hailer is a portable, usually hand-held, cone-shaped horn used to amplify a person’s voice or other sounds towards a targeted direction. This is accomplished by channelling the sound through the megaphone, which also serves to match the...
, roof-mounted single beacons and grille flashers. The Light Trucks were painted in white as they were exclusively used by JSDF
Japan Self-Defense Forces
The , or JSDF, occasionally referred to as JSF or SDF, are the unified military forces of Japan that were established after the end of the post–World War II Allied occupation of Japan. For most of the post-war period the JSDF was confined to the islands of Japan and not permitted to be deployed...
military police units
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
.
Users
- Currently using the Shin Light Trucks. Kyū Light Trucks have been decommissioned from some frontline units, though many are still in service. - Had been used in the Armed Forces of the PhilippinesArmed Forces of the Philippines
The Armed Forces of the Philippines is composed of the Philippine Army, Philippine Navy and Philippine Air Force...
for a short time in the 1950s and 60s. - Main jeep used in the ARVN
Army of the Republic of Vietnam
The Army of the Republic of Viet Nam , sometimes parsimoniously referred to as the South Vietnamese Army , was the land-based military forces of the Republic of Vietnam , which existed from October 26, 1955 until the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975...
with Willys M606
Willys MB
The Willys MB US Army Jeep and the Ford GPW, were manufactured from 1941 to 1945. These small four-wheel drive utility vehicles are considered the iconic World War II Jeep, and inspired many similar light utility vehicles. Over the years, the World War II Jeep later evolved into the "CJ" civilian...
, Ford M151s and M38A1
Willys MB
The Willys MB US Army Jeep and the Ford GPW, were manufactured from 1941 to 1945. These small four-wheel drive utility vehicles are considered the iconic World War II Jeep, and inspired many similar light utility vehicles. Over the years, the World War II Jeep later evolved into the "CJ" civilian...
s.