A shell exploded inside a tank during an exercise Tuesday at a Japanese army training area in southern Japan, killing three soldiers and injuring one, officials said. The blast happened inside the apparatus of war itself: three soldiers — a tank commander, a gunner and a safety officer — were in a gun turret on a Type 10 main battle tank during a live fire exercise with two other tanks at the Hijudai Training Area in the southern prefecture of Oita. The fourth occupant, the driver, survived but was injured, officials said.
Who Pays for the Drill
The unintentional explosion of a tank shell at the Ground Self-Defense Force's training range in southwestern Japan left three of its members dead and another member injured on Tuesday, the GSDF said. The accident occurred at around 8:40 a.m. during a tank exercise at the GSDF's Hijudai training range in Oita prefecture. A tank shell exploded before it was fired. While not disclosing their gender, the GSDF said two of the three killed were in their 30s and one in their 40s. According to local fire authorities, the injured person suffered facial burns but is conscious.
The four personnel involved in the accident served as the tank commander, gunner, safety officer and driver. That is the human cost of the military hierarchy when the machinery fails: the people inside the tank absorbed the blast, while the institution issued the update after the fact.
What the Brass Said
Masayoshi Arai, chief of staff of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, said the army has suspended live-fire exercises using Type 10 and Type 90 tanks that use the same shells while officials investigate the cause and other details of the accident. "We will promptly determine the cause so that we can take preventive measures," Arai said.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters at the parliament building in Tokyo, "We are trying to confirm the details and cause of the incident. It's extremely regrettable. ... We will ensure thorough safety measures will be in place."
Those are the familiar words of command after the damage is done: confirm, investigate, suspend, ensure. The people at the bottom were already inside the turret when the shell exploded before it was fired.
The Machine and Its Users
Type 10 is Japan’s newest tank, which it started deploying in 2011. The exercise involved two other tanks at the Hijudai Training Area in the southern prefecture of Oita. The GSDF said the accident happened during a live fire exercise, and officials said the army has suspended live-fire exercises using Type 10 and Type 90 tanks that use the same shells while the cause is investigated.
The facts remain stark: three dead, one injured, one shell exploded before firing, and the institution now promises preventive measures after the fact. The training range, the tank, the chain of command, and the official language of regret all sit in the same frame, while the people inside the turret bear the immediate cost.
The accident occurred on Tuesday at around 8:40 a.m. at the GSDF's Hijudai training range in Oita prefecture. The dead were two in their 30s and one in their 40s, according to the GSDF. The injured person suffered facial burns but is conscious, local fire authorities said. The army said it will investigate the cause and other details of the accident.