Japan continues deployments of Type 20 assault rifles

The Type 20 rifle can be configured for either automatic or semi-automatic fire. (Howa Machinery Ltd)

Japan has continued to roll out its 5.56×45 mm Type 20 assault rifle, with a new delivery to a Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) airbase in Ibaraki prefecture.

A spokesperson from Japan’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) told
Janes
on 7 May that an undisclosed number of Type 20 rifles were delivered to the JASDF Hyakuri Air Base in 2024.

However, the spokesperson indicated that the JASDF has not yet started using the rifles. “We are currently making arrangements so that the rifles will become operational as soon as can be,” the spokesperson said.

Japan’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) allocated JPY3.3 billion (USD22.8 million) in its fiscal year (FY) 2023 to procure 8,577 Type 20 rifles, according to MoD budget information. An ATLA spokesperson told
Janes
in 2023 that deliveries of the rifles were scheduled for FY 2024 and FY 2025.

The MoD further allocated JPY4.3 billion for 9,927 Type 20 rifles in FY 2024 and JPY5.4 billion for 12,907 rifles in FY 2025.

According to
Janes Weapons: Infantry
, the Type 20 assault rifle – produced by Howa Machinery Limited – was developed in 2015 to replace Japan’s ageing 5.56×45 mm Type 89 assault rifles, which were also built by Howa Machinery.

In 2019 the MoD selected the Type 20 rifle over Heckler and Koch’s 416A5 and the FN Herstal’s SCAR-L rifles.

The Type 20 is a selective-fire, air-cooled, magazine box-fed, gas-operated assault rifle, with a conventional layout. The rifle can be configured for either automatic or semi-automatic fire via the use of a fire-selector lever.

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