The M570 Kuroisame is a 1980s Japanese-American Armored Fighting Vehicle, developed jointly by General Dynamics Land Systems and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

M570 Kuroisame

The M570 Kuroisame, meaning “Black Shark”, was born in the early 1980s as a contemporary and potential future replacement for the M440 Slider. The Kuroisame was initially projected to be a four-wheeled vehicle armed with a 45mm Autocannon supplied by Colt, but issues with poor ammo capacity and the gun itself lead to General Dynamics choosing to instead mount a single M320 Flank 20mm cannon in a remote controlled turret on the roof. This proved a good choice very quickly, as ammunition capacity jumped from 56 rounds to 330 in a turret mounted box. Upon its reveal to the public at the 1985 Washinton DC Military Arms Expo, multiple nations expressed interest in the vehicle. Including, but not limited to; Great Britain, France, Germany, Turkey, Italy, Canada and Portugal among others. The first units of the M570 began delivery late in 1988, with the first 125 produced going to the JGSDF, and the next 250 entering service with the United States Army. Deliveries of initial M570 models concluded with an order of Five arriving in Finland in August 1996. As of 2024, 6,293 M570 have been produced, with the largest operators being the United States Army (2,859), Republic of Southeast Asia Army (917), and JGSDF (588).

Armor

22.7mm all-around, optional ERA panels on M570A2 and up, optional slat armor from initial model onwards. 30.28mm all-around (M570A5 onwards)

Armament

1x M320 Flank 20mm Autocannon, 330rd. (Standard)

1x BGM-71 TOW Missile (Optional)

1x Browning M3 in roof turret, 466rd (Optional, M570A2 Infantry Support Vehicle)

1x 60mm Gun M44 (Optional, M570A4 Armored Assault Vehicle)

Number Built

6,293

Produced

1983-Present

Notable Operators

US Army
RSA Army
JGSDF
Polish Army (M570A5 only)
German Army

Powerplant

CAT C12 Diesel 490hp

Crew

4 - Driver, Commander, Radio Operator, Gunner.

Activation group One for headlights
Activation group Two to arm TOW missile and jettison rear blast cap