Type 73 SKW 475 Japanese 6x6 Tactical Utility Truck

The Isuzu SKW is a tactical truck of Japanese origin. It was developed by Isuzu in the late 1960s to replace the previous range of 2.5 t trucks in Japanese service. The SKW is best known as the Type 73 in Japanese service. The design has been updated three times in order to provide improved performance. Despite the upgrades, the Type 73 designation remains unchanged, mostly because the capabilities and performance remain similar. The SKW is a 3.5 t tactical truck that is based on a commercial truck chassis. Even though the design was improved in many areas for military use it uses many off-the-shelf parts. The SKW features a 6x6 chassis with a forward control cab mounted on top of the engine. Most SKW has single rear tires with a few specialist models having double rear tires. On all three models, the cab roof can be removed and the windshield lowered for a reduced silhouette. The SKW series is unarmed and has no armor or NBC system.