Japan selects Patria's AMV for Type 96 replacement programme

Japan has selected Patria's Armoured Modular Vehicle (pictured above) to replace the JGSDF's existing Type 96 APCs. (Patria)

The Japanese Ministry of Defense (MoD) has selected Finnish company Patria for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's (JGSDF's) wheeled armoured personnel carrier (WAPC) programme.

The MoD's Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Agency (ATLA) announced on 9 December that under the programme Patria's 8×8 Armoured Modular Vehicle (AMV) will replace the JGSDF's ageing fleet of Komatsu Type 96 8×8 APCs.

ATLA said Patria has proposed to licence-produce the AMVs in Japan, and the company will execute the proposal with a Japanese private sector company.

Patria said in a press release that it had been preparing its WAPC proposal since 2018 and had established a local subsidiary, Patria Japan Ltd, to support its activities in Japan.

The company said its next step in the programme is to enter licenced-production negotiations with a Japanese company. These talks will start immediately, Patria said.

An ATLA official said the agency is seeking “a good percentage of [the procured] AMVs to be produced in Japan” because Poland – in a previous project – produced 90% of its acquired AMVs from Patria through a similar licenced-production programme.

In August, ATLA allotted JPY23.2 billion (USD170 million) to acquire 29 vehicles under the WAPC programme in fiscal year 2023. The agency seeks to take delivery of all these vehicles in three years.

Looking forward, Janes assesses that the WAPC programme could feature the procurement of nearly 400 vehicles to replace the same number of Type 96 APCs in operation with the JGSDF. The Type 96 APC was inducted into the service from 1996.