The Type 61 is conventionally laid out, with a central turret and the engine located at the rear of the hull. The tank has a crew of four, a commander, driver, gunner and loader. The hull is welded steel, with a cast steel turret. The maximum armour thickness is quoted as 64 millimeters. The driver sits at the front right of the hull, with a hatch immediately above him, and three vision periscopes covering the forward arc. To the drivers left is the transmission, which can be accessed for servicing by removing a large panel on the front of the hull. The commander and gunner sit in the turret on the right side, with the commander provided with a large domed cupola with a hatch on the rear of it. The cupola has four vision blocks, which are angled upward, and a one meter base stereoscopic rangefinder with x7 magnification. A 12.7 mm machine gun was normally mounted on the cupola for anti-aircraft use.
| Type 61 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Main battle tank |
| Place of origin |  Japan |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1961 - 2000 |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries |
| Designed | 1955 - 1960 |
| Manufacturer | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries |
| Produced | 1961 - 1975 |
| Number built | 560 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 35 tonnes |
| Length | 8.19 / 6.03 m |
| Width | 2.95 m |
| Height | 2.49 m |
| Crew | 4 |
| | |
| Armor | 55 mm(hull) - 114 mm(turret) |
| Main armament | 90 mm L/52 rifled cannon |
| Secondary armament | 7.62mm Browning M1919A4 machine gun 12.7mm M2 Browning machine gun |
| Engine | Mitsubishi 12HM21WT 4 stroke V type 12 cylinder vertical air cooled diesel 570 hp / 2100 rpm, 29600 cc |
| Power/weight | 17.14hp/t |
| Suspension | torsion bar |
| Operational range | 200 km |
| Speed | 45 km/h (paved roads) |
The gunner does not have a hatch and is seated forward of the commander. The gunner has a x6 magnification periscope, as well as a x6 magnification sight. The main gun was the Type 61 90 millimeter calibre rifled gun with a horizontal sliding breach block. The gun is fitted with a t-shaped muzzle brake, which diverts firing gases sideways, and reduces the amount of dust kicked up by firing. A coaxial 7.62 millimeter machine gun is mounted next to the gun.
The loader is provided with a small hatch, which has a small flap in it for ejecting spent shell cases by hand. Storage is provided for 18 rounds in the bustle at the rear of the tank, with additional rounds being distributed in various positions inside the tank.
A tool storage box was normally mounted externally on the rear of the bustle, and three smoke grenade launchers were mounted on each side of the turret. Two large radio antenna were also attached to the rear of the bustle.
The tank was powered by a 570 horsepower Mitsubishi HM21 WT V12 turbocharged diesel mounted at the rear of the hull and exhausting through pipes on either side of the rear of the hull. The engine is coupled to a Mitsubishi manual transmission system. The track is driven from the front, and has six rubber road wheels on each side along with three return rollers. The suspension is a torsion bar system with the first, second and sixth road wheel fitted with hydraulic shock absorbers.
The main gun is unstabilized, so firing on the move was impractical, and the vehicle is not fitted with an NBC protection system or deep wading equipment.
