Tank origin

After World War II, the newly created Japanese Ground Self Defense Force was given the option of purchasing M47 Pattons to upgrade its roster of tanks. The JGSDF instead chose to produce its own, indigenous main battle tank, and between 1956 and 1960, it developed four prototypes, designated STA-1 through STA-4. The STA-3 design incorporated the shortened body and flattened hull of the STA-2 and added a semiautomatic loading system and remotely operated machine gun.