Artistic Forces/Rokuichi Tank

"Sensha at your command."

- Rokuichi Tank

The Rokuichi Tank (Japanese: ろくいちせんしゃ, Hepburn: Rokuichi Sensha) is the medium tank of the Josei Guntai in Artistic Forces. This vehicle unit is planned to be voiced by Deneen Melody.

Background
The Empire of Japan had produced a wide range of armored fighting vehicles. After the Surrender of the Imperial Japan, however, all AFV development and construction had ceased, and the country had lost the technology needed to build and manufacture tanks and armored vehicles. However, due to the Korean War, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers ordered Japan to remilitarize, forming an armed police force (initially the National Police Reserve, later called the National Security Force, and finally renamed the Japan Ground Self Defense Force) and provided M4A3E8 Sherman medium tanks and M24 Chaffee light tanks.

These tanks had seen heavy use during World War II, and after their handover to Japan they required total mechanical overhauls in only a few years. Since a large amount of parts were being consumed on the Korean peninsula, it was necessary to produce the spares used in Japan domestically, and procedural knowledge of American style tank design and maintenance began to accumulate. One bonus shared by the Sherman and Chaffee in Japanese use was that the average Japanese crewmember was of shorter stature than American soldiers, and the tanks were considered spacious by Japanese standards.

Based on this experience, the Director General of the Defense Agency ordered the Technical Research and Development Institute to develop a new domestic tank in 1955. During the Korean War, the performance of the T-34 and M26 Pershing had made it clear that new Japanese tanks would require 90mm main guns.

Among the tank officers of the JGSDF there were two design plans for the new tanks. One was a 25-ton tank, to match the difficult terrain of Japan, with its paddy fields and weak ground. The other was a 35-ton tank, more than big enough to carry a 90mm gun. Both plans had advantages and disadvantages, but after intense discussion, the 35-ton design was adopted. From 1956 to 1960, a series of four prototypes, numbered STA1 to STA4, were produced, and testing began in 1957. STA3/4 were satisfactory for JGSDF and introduced into service in April 1961 as a domestically produced post-WWII battle tank.

Appearance
The appearance of this armored vehicle unit is based on the Japanese Type 61 main battle tank, which is the production version of the satisfactory STA3/4 variant.

Strategy
TBA

Trained

 * "Sensha at your command."
 * "Rokuichi Tank at your service."

Selected

 * "Medium tank of the Josei Rikugun."
 * 「61戦車です. 」
 * 「指令は？」」

Moving

 * "Hit the gas!"
 * 「頑張ります！」
 * 「前進！」
 * "Tracks in motion."

Attacking

 * 「戦車… 撃て！！！」
 * 「撃破よ！」
 * "Engaging the enemy!"
 * "Target encountered!"