Japan has a very strict defense doctrine, which does not permit the country to support any country at war with lethal weapons or partake in an armed conflict unless it itself is being attacked. And so Japan does not export weapons. Even its Type 10 tanks are not on the export markets. Japan cannot even help Ukraine with any kind of lethal aid. But Japan is sending some light military trucks to Ukraine.
Mitsubishi Type 73 Light Truck Shin. Image credit: z tanuki via Wikimedia (CC BY 3.0)
Japan has a strict self-defense policy. It will only use its military power for self-defense purposes and will not partake in other conflicts in other ways. This includes the supply of weapons. Japan does not even export its weapons to countries that are not currently at war, unless it is a re-export of technology (for example, Japan can transfer American missiles back to the US).
And there are plenty of countries that are interested in Japanese weapons. For example, the main battle tank Type 10 is very advanced and would be in high demand if Japan decided to sell some of them. But because it is not exported, its price remains very high and Japan is the only one to cover it.
It doesn’t mean that Japan is not supporting Ukraine in other ways. Non-lethal aid is permitted. For example, since May 2023 Japan has been sending Mitsubishi Type 73 Light Trucks (known as Shin) to Ukraine. A batch of them just made it to Ukraine, as reported by the Embassy of Japan in Ukraine.
21 грудня, декілька автомобілів від Міністерства оборони Японії прибули до Сил оборони України.
Надання підтримки Японією продовжуватиметься наступного року. Разом з Україною. Слава Україні! 🇺🇦🤝🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/OpuDh7ebZd— Посольство Японії в Україні (@JPEmbUA) December 26, 2023
There have been two generations of the Mitsubishi Type 73. The first one, which was in service from 1973 to 1997, was developed from the Jeep CJ-3B. In fact, it even looked a lot like the WW2-era Jeep. The second generation of the Mitsubishi Type 73, known as Shin, entered service in 1996 and is based on the frame of the Mitsubishi Pajero. It weighs around 2 tonnes, can carry 4-6 soldiers and serves as a basis for a machine gun.
The Shin is just over 4.1 metres in length and 1.77 metres in width. It is quite small. Having in mind that an average Ukrainian man is probably significantly larger than an average Japanese soldier, it is probably a good thing that the Shin features an open-body design.
Under the bonnet, the Shin has a simple 4-cylinder engine pushing 125 HP. It powers all four wheels through an automatic 4-speed transmission. For extra capabilities off-road, the Shin has a locking differential.
Although Shin trucks were bulletproofed when they were deployed in Iraq, normally these off-roaders are not armoured at all. In fact, they have nothing to do at the frontlines and will probably be used further away from the battlefield itself.
They will be useful anyway – the Armed Forces of Ukraine are growing and light vehicles are desperately needed. And because they are coming from all over the world, Shin being right-hand drive is not even a concern.
Written by Povilas M.
Sources: Embassy of Japan in Ukraine, Wikipedia