Breaking News: Japanese Army receives first Patria AMV XP APC to increase troop protection and mobility in future missions.

On September 2, 2025, Japan officially marked the rollout of its first mass-produced Patria AMV XP 8×8 armored personnel carrier, with the event taking place at Japan Steel Works’ Muroran plant. The ceremony was attended by General Arai, Chief of Staff of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, and confirmed that the first serial unit will begin deployment to operational units before the end of the current fiscal year.
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Japan becomes the ninth user of the Patria AMV series, which has been procured globally, by countries such as Finland, Poland, Slovenia, Croatia, the United Arab Emirates, Sweden, and Slovakia. (Picture source: Japanese MoD)

The Japanese Ministry of Defense described the Patria AMV XP as designed to combine mobility and protection for transporting personnel under threat and emphasized that it will also be assigned roles in international peace cooperation operations. This step represents the transition from earlier trials and licensing processes to the actual induction of vehicles into Japanese service, confirming both the operational timeline and the industrial production arrangement in Japan.

The Patria AMV XP was selected in December 2022 under the Wheeled Armored Personnel Carrier (WAPC) program, which sought to replace the Type 96 8×8 armored personnel carrier currently in service. This decision followed years of evaluations, including comparative trials held in 2021 at the Fuji school grounds where the AMV XP competed against Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ prototype, while the LAV 6.0 from General Dynamics Land Systems was excluded from consideration due to delays and disagreements about procurement conditions. Patria had been engaged in the Japanese program since 2018 and established a local subsidiary, Patria Japan Ltd., to support cooperation and negotiations. A licensing agreement was signed in August 2023 between Patria and Japan Steel Works to permit licensed production in Japan. These steps, coupled with the September 2025 rollout of the first mass-produced vehicle, marked the culmination of the evaluation and selection process and the beginning of domestic production.

Japan’s procurement planning has been structured over multiple fiscal years to ensure both continuity of operations and the gradual replacement of the Type 96. The Ministry of Defense allocated funding for 26 vehicles in FY2023 at 136 billion yen, 28 vehicles in FY2024 at 200 billion yen, and 28 vehicles in FY2025 at 225 billion yen. Together, these tranches bring the total number of vehicles funded so far to 82 at a combined cost of 561 billion yen. However, long-term planning projects a fleet of up to 810 vehicles, including variants, each expected to remain in service for approximately 20 years. These figures underline both the scale of the program and its projected longevity, with Japan Steel Works serving as the licensed manufacturer responsible for production. The supply chain also includes major subsystem procurement, such as 140 Scania engines ordered to support the program’s initial production batches.

The Patria AMV XP’s design is based on modularity and a shared chassis platform capable of multiple roles. The baseline configuration relevant to Japan has a length of 8.1 meters, a width of 2.8 meters, a hull height of 2.4 meters, a maximum combat weight of 32,000 kilograms, and a payload capacity of up to 15,000 kilograms. Propulsion comes from a six-cylinder inline diesel engine producing 450 kilowatts of power and 2,140 newton-meters of torque, paired with an automatic 7+2 transmission and continuous all-wheel drive. The driveline and suspension system combine hydro-pneumatic elements with independent axles, central tire inflation, run-flat inserts, and optional rear-axle steering, enabling speeds greater than 100 kilometers per hour and ranges between 800 and 1,000 kilometers. The vehicle can manage gradients up to 60 percent, side slopes of 30 percent, vertical obstacles of 0.7 meters, trenches of 2.1 meters, and fording depths of 1.8 meters, with optional amphibious kits providing water speeds of 6 to 9 kilometers per hour.

Protection and adaptability are central to the AMV XP’s operational role. It incorporates scalable modular ballistic armor, mine protection above STANAG 4a/4b, and compatibility with active and passive survivability systems. The personnel carrier variant seats a crew of three plus twelve dismounted soldiers, and its modular digitalized interior is configured to integrate C4I, battlefield management, situational awareness, and health monitoring systems. Electrical power generation of 350 amperes, with an optional 560-ampere output, supports current and future onboard systems. The platform is designed to accept a wide range of weapons, from small- and medium-caliber turrets to 120 mm direct fire guns, the Patria NEMO 120 mm mortar turret, and missile systems for both anti-tank and anti-aircraft applications. These characteristics make the AMV XP adaptable for use as troop carriers, command posts, reconnaissance vehicles, or fire support platforms within a single fleet structure.

The international background of the AMV XP program was also a factor in Japan’s decision. The AMV family has been adopted by Finland, Poland, Slovenia, Croatia, Sweden, Slovakia, the United Arab Emirates, and others, and has seen operational use in Afghanistan, Yemen, and Ukraine. Japan is now the ninth operator of the platform, joining an established user community and benefiting from a vehicle with extensive combat and peacekeeping records. This background gave Japanese decision-makers confidence in the platform’s reliability, while the licensing model provided assurance of local security of supply. The September 2025 rollout of the first mass-produced unit, therefore, not only marked a milestone for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force but also reflected a broader industrial partnership linking Patria and Japan Steel Works to long-term domestic production and support.

The transition to AMV XP represents a significant modernization of Japan’s armored personnel carrier fleet. The Type 96 vehicles introduced in the 1990s are to be replaced progressively by the new fleet, which provides higher levels of protection and modularity while retaining the capacity to transport infantry in standard squad formations. Japan’s approach ensures that the new vehicles will serve in both homeland defense and international operations, while the industrial agreements guarantee that the domestic defense sector is directly involved in manufacturing and sustainment. As deliveries begin, the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force is set to integrate the AMV XP into its structure, with the program designed to adapt to mission requirements over the next two decades through upgrades and variant development within a single platform family.