Type 74 (G)

This page is about the premium Japanese medium tank Type 74 (G). For other versions, see Type 74 (Family).

Type 74 (G)

Type 74 (G)

Japan

VI Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
9.3	9.3	9.3

Class:

PREMIUM

Medium tank

Purchase:8 730

Description

The Type 74 mod G/Kai was a service life extension program for the Type 74 initiated in 1993 to keep it in service alongside the newer Type 90 MBT. The program involved adding a passive infrared camera, side skirts, and new electronics to the tank, as well as adjusting the rear driving wheel to prevent track detachment. Although four Type 74 (G) tanks were tested and produced satisfactory results, the cost of upgrading all Type 74s was estimated at 100 million yen. As a result, only five Type 74s were upgraded. Eventually, the Type 74s were replaced by the Type 16 MCV.

It was introduced in Update 1.87 "Locked On" as a premium pack but was removed from the Gaijin store after the 2022 "Winter sale". It was made available temporarily for purchase in-game with Golden Eagles () during the 2023 "National Foundation Day in Japan" mini-event and then returned permanently as a () premium vehicle during the 2024 one.

Compared to its tech tree counterparts, the Type 74 (E) and (F), it has the IR floodlight replaced by a thermal imaging system and a minuscule upgrade to its protection in the addition of side skirts.

General info

Survivability and armour

Smoke grenades

Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle

LWS

Notifies about the vehicle's exposure to laser emissions

Armourfront / side / back

Hull80 / 30 / 20

Turret132 / 67 / 37

Crew4 people

Visibility96 %

The armour on the Type 74 is nothing special and shouldn't be relied upon to survive a shot from the enemy. It is therefore better to not get hit by an enemy tank shell to begin with. Its only merit is being able to resist autocannon rounds from light tanks or IFVs, which can buy precious seconds for the Type 74 (G) to retaliate before the enemy gets a good shot.

With four crew members, the survivability of the Type 74 (G) after penetration is on-par with other tank designs from USA and Germany. The prominence of APFSDS shells at this rank combined with the thin armour of the Type 74 (G) can mean instances where an APFSDS penetrates the armour and goes right through with minimal shrapnel damage, and so relatively little interior damage outside of the APFSDS' direct flight path.

The special thing about this tank is its pneumatic suspension. It give you the possibility to be fully hull-down on mountains. That capacity can make the Type 74 (G) less visible and therefore less exposed to enemy fire.

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, Side skirts)
• Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, Gun mantlet, Cupola)

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	40 mm (73°) Front glacis - upper section 80 mm (64°) Front glacis - lower section 80 mm (57°) Lower glacis 50 mm Hull over the tracks 50 mm Driver port	50 mm (44°) Top - front part 35 mm (44°) Top - center and rear parts 30 mm Bottom 10 mm Side skirts 10 mm (55°) Belly	20 mm Top 20 mm (47°) Bottom	25 mm
Turret	132 mm (25°) Turret front 200 mm (40°) Gun mantlet - upper section 100 mm Gun mantlet - lower section	132 mm (30°) Front half 67 mm (40°) Rear half	37 mm (18°) Vertical part 40 mm (70°) Turret ring area	67 mm (82°) Front 37 mm Rear
Cupola	80 mm (61°)	80 mm (55°)		80 mm

Notes:

• Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.
• Frontally, the driver port as well as the hull over the tracks are weak spots on the Type 74 (G).
• The bottom of the hull is only 10 mm thick, making it vulnerable to powerful HE shells shot under the belly.

Mobility

 

Controlled suspension

It is possible to adjust the ground clearance or more complex suspension positions

Speedforward / back

AB59 / 19 km/h

RB and SB54 / 17 km/h

Number of gears6 forward

2 back

Weight38.5 t

Engine power

AB1 660 hp

RB and SB870 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB43.1 hp/t

RB and SB22.6 hp/t

The Type 74 (G)'s mobility is pretty decent and comparable to the OF-40 Mk.2A or Leopard A1A1, but slightly slower. The Type 74 (G) however has a reverse speed of only -14 km/h against -25 km/h for the previously mentioned tanks.

While the Type 74 (G) can outspeed Soviet, British, and most American medium tanks, don't expect to be faster than a BMP, TAM, Bradley, or the faster premiums like OF-40 (MTCA) or AMX-30 Super.

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	59	19	38.5	1,348	1,660	35.01	43.12
Realistic	54	17		769	870	19.97	22.6

Modifications and economy

Repair cost

AB3 026

RB3 103

SB3 797

Crew training10 000

Experts730 000

Aces2 000

Research Aces1 780 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

2 × 140 / 190 / 220 %

2 × 214 / 214 / 214 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Suspension Brake System Filters Transmission Engine	Improved Parts Improved FPE Crew Replenishment Smoke grenade	Horizontal Drive 105mm_NATO_APDS_FS_ammo_pack Adjustment of Fire LWS/LR Elevation Mechanism 105mm_us_M416_Smoke_ammo_pack Artillery Support 105mm_jp_Type93_APDS_FS_ammo_pack NVD

Armaments

Laser rangefinder

Reduces the error and increases the maximum measurable distance of the rangefinder

Night vision device

Improves visibility by enhancing natural light or active illumination.

Thermal imager

Allows to see thermal radiation in the infrared range day and night

Main armament

105 mm L7A3 cannon

Two-plane stabilizer

Reduces the swing of the gun in two planes while moving

Ammunition50 rounds

First-order16 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

8.7 → 6.7 s

Vertical guidance-6° / 9°

The gun is identical to the tech tree versions of the Type 74, a 105 mm L7A3 cannon. It possesses one of the more potent kinetic shells of the rank with its Type 93 APFSDS. Although the reload time is not as fast as other 105 mm armed tanks that can be encountered, like the Leopard A1A1, OF-40, and the AMX-30 Super, the Type 93 APFSDS has even greater penetration power than the L44 cannon on the Leopard A1A1 (L/44).

The gun comes with a stabilizer so firing on the move with the Type 74 (G) is possible. The gun depression of 6 degrees is, on paper, relatively poor that doesn't allow for effective fighting from ridgelines, requiring a position that exposes the tank more to get a shot at your target. However, the pneumatic suspension can compensate for the lack of gun depression, and so it must be utilised to get the most out of the Type 74 (G).

105 mm L7A3					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	50	-6°/+9°	±180°	Two-plane	22.8	31.6	38.4	42.5	45.2	8.71	7.70	7.10	6.70
Realistic					14.3	16.8	20.4	22.6	24.0

Ammunition

The available ammunition offers a complete range to engage all types of targets:

• Type 91: HEATFS; a shaped charge that can penetrate any vehicle's armour frontally. Like the APFSDS shot, increased armour thickness results in reduced amount of spalling (shrapnel) after penetration. You are able to take out enemies on any distance, since the HEAT round does not lose penetration with distance travelled - very handy on large maps. Unlike APFSDS it has one downside: given that it is a chemical round, its fuse is highly sensitive in regards to its practical application in battle. As a result, virtually anything, such as trees or even a fence, will set it off prematurely, so you cannot fire through obstructions with this kind of round. Knowledge of potential opponents vehicle layouts will be very handy to use.
• M735: APFSDS; a kinetic rod with high penetration power but without explosive filler. It is capable of easily penetrating the majority of the foes it meets, but these rounds do require finesse as to their placing. Because the projectile lacks an explosive filler, the best bet is to try and either knock out the majority of the enemy tank's crew or to destroy the enemy by ammo or fuel detonation through hitting their respective storage capacities. This, of course, requires knowledge about the vehicles the Type 74 (G) may face - so be sure to use the game's x-ray view in the hangar and analyse potential foes for their weak spots! Also, keep in mind that with increased armour thickness the amount of shrapnel shrinks.
• M416: Smoke; useful to blind enemy vehicles that are too remote for you to disable so that you can progress towards objectives.
• Type 93: APFSDS; a kinetic rod with increased penetration power compared to the M735.

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
Type 91	HEATFS	400	400	400	400	400	400
M735	APFSDS	292	291	284	275	266	257
Type 93	APFSDS	405	403	396	388	378	370

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (kg)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
Type 91	HEATFS	1,150	9.4	0.05	0.1	1.57	65°	72°	77°
M735	APFSDS	1,501	3.72	-	-	-	78°	80°	81°
Type 93	APFSDS	1,501	3.4	-	-	-	78°	80°	81°

Smoke shell characteristics
Ammunition	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Screen radius (m)	Screen deploy time (s)	Screen hold time (s)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
M416	732	11.6	16	5	25	50

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Type 74 (G)

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	Visual discrepancy
50	17 (+33)	10 (+40)	1 (+49)	Yes

Notes:

• Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
• Racks 2 and 3 are first stage ammo racks. They total 16 shells and get filled first when loading up the tank.
  • These racks are also emptied early: the depletion order at full capacity is: 2 - 3 - 1.
  • Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1-8 into rack 9. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready rack.
• The visual discrepancy concerns racks 1 and 3.
  • Rack 1 has 3 shells which, while modelled in the rack, are never present (crossed out shells).
  • Rack 1 is modelled as 30 shells but contains 34 shells.
  • Rack 3 has a shell which remains in the rack even after having been shot.

Machine guns

12.7 mm M2HB machine gun

Ammunition600 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate575 shots/min

Vertical guidance-10° / 60°

Horizontal guidance-180° / 80°

7.62 mm Type 74 machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition4 500 rounds

Belt capacity250 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate701 shots/min

12.7 mm M2HB
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Pintle	600 (200)	577	-10°/+60°	-180°/+80°

7.62 mm Type 74
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	4,500 (250)	701	N/A	N/A

While it's not recommended, it's still possible to use 12.7 mm to fight light tanks like AUBL/74 HVG or Rooikat Mk.1D and most SPAA tanks at <100 m range.

Do not charge them with just the MG, especially at long range, as even poorly armoured rank V light tanks can survive frontal MG fire long enough to disarm and explode the Type 74 - let them come to you, hit them with the main gun and ensure they never move again by firing at their sides or flat parts, while hiding yours.

Any melee oriented light tanks like BMP-2 or Warrior with add-on armour will have enough armour to absorb the MG fire and will greet Type 74 back with point blank ATGM attack, which machine guns will be unable to stop at such range.

Usage in battles

The Type 74 (G) is a classic MBT with good mobility and firepower. It's fast enough to be somewhat competitive with its peers (although low-speed acceleration and manoeuvrability are lacking, which makes urban fighting sometimes tedious), and can sometimes reach favourable early-game positions before the enemy. The Type 74 (G) is slower than the AMX-30 Super, OF-40 (MTCA), and most IFVs, so watch out for those tanks in situations where mobility is required. The Type 74 (G)'s reverse speed is mediocre, so peeking an enemy in order to take a shot can be dangerous; the enemy may have time to fire back before the Type 74 (G) can retreat into cover. All in all, this tank has good mobility, but it can't be depended on in a pinch, and it certainly doesn't give the Type 74 (G) a significant advantage over the enemy.

The armour on the Type 74 is nothing special and shouldn't be relied on to survive a shot from the enemy. Any APFSDS shell can penetrate the Type 74 (G)'s armour from practically any angle. It is therefore better to not get hit by an enemy tank shell to begin with. The armour's only merit is being able to resist machine gun and autocannon rounds from light tanks or IFVs such as the BMP-2, which can buy precious seconds for the Type 74 (G) to retaliate before the enemy gets a good shot. With four crew members, the survivability of the Type 74 (G) after penetration is on-par with other tank designs from the USA and Germany. The prominence of APFSDS shells in this rank combined with the thin armour of the Type 74 (G) can mean instances where an APFSDS shell penetrates the armour and goes right through with minimal shrapnel damage, and so relatively little interior damage outside of the APFSDS' direct flight path.

With the Type 74 (G), it is recommended to take no more than 15 shells into battle, since these first 15 shells are stored in a relatively safe compartment in the turret. With these shells, the tank is able to penetrate most enemy tanks except at very long ranges. The Type 93 APFSDS shell is one of the best at this tier, and a quick reload time lets the Type 74 (G) be a deadly weapon on the battlefield. The Type 74 (G) has a worse rotation than most Western MBTs, although it is better that that of Soviet tanks. This difference can mean the difference between life and death in situations where quick aiming is important. This tank is also able to use a pneumatic suspension system to lower or raise its hull on its suspension. This is useful when firing from behind cover. The Type 74 (G) can go fully hull-down when behind a ridgeline, and ridgeline sniping is therefore one of this vehicle's strengths. While it's not recommended, it is possible to use the tank's 12.7 mm machine gun to fight light tanks like the AUBL/74 HVG.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Decent mobility, enough to be competitive and reach most of your favourite positions
• Very good APFSDS shell (Type 93) - one of the best in its rank
• Good lineup with Type 89, Type 87, Type 16 and regular Type 74
• Some armour to stop autocannons from IFVs and MBTs, such as the BMP-2, XM803, MBT-70 and the French tanks with 20 mm coax guns
• Pneumatic suspension

Cons:

• Slower than for example Leopard A1A1 or OF-40, and quite a bit slower than AMX-30 Super and OF-40 MTCA
• Worse turret rotation than other western MBTs, but still better than Soviet tanks
• Mediocre reverse speed at only 16 km/h compared to the mentioned competitors
• Generally a little bit more sluggish in the steering than the other nations' MBTs
• Loud engine (especially when adjusting suspension) can reveal the tank's position

History

In 1993, a program was launched to upgrade 4 Type 74 tanks to a new Type 74 Kai (mod. G) standard. The tanks were equipped with the NBC protection system of the Type 90, a passive infrared camera like the Type 90, a laser detection device linked with smoke launchers and side skirts. The program was abandoned quickly as the upgrade proved too expensive in a context of military budget reduction due to the end of the Cold War.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Type 74 (G) from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

Premium Vehicles: Type 74 mod G\Kai - War Thunder Wiki

Type 74 (G): Slower Top Tier Experience - Napalmratte

Real Sound Recording: Type 74 Edition - DMM GAMES Official Channel

JGSDF Type 74: 360° Video - DMM GAMES Official Channel

See also

Related Development

• STB-1 - (Prototype Stage)
• Type 74 (Family)
• Type 87 - (SPAAG built on a modified Type 74 Hull)

Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

• Leopard 1 (Family)
  • Leopard 1A5
• AMX-30 (Family)
  • AMX-30 Super
• OF-40 (Family)

External links

• [Shop] Type 74 mod G/Kai and Pre-Order of the Japanese Packs

Japan premium ground vehicles
Light tanks	Ha-Go Commander · Type 16 (FPS)
Medium tanks	Chi-Ha Short Gun · Chi-He (5th Regiment) · Ka-Chi · Chi-Nu II · Type 74 (G) · Type 90 (B) "Fuji"
Heavy tanks	Ro-Go · ▅Heavy Tank No.6
Tank destroyers	Ho-Ri Prototype · Type 75 MLRS