A Japanese government source said on Thursday that Japan is planning to deploy 300 high-speed maneuver combat vehicles armed with cannons to strengthen defense capabilities around the Diaoyu Islands and other islets in Okinawa, Japan's Kyodo News reported.

The source said Japan is considering including the deployment in its new defense program guidelines, which the Japanese cabinet is expected to approve in mid-December.

According to the report, the wheeled vehicles, which weigh less than conventional tanks, can be transported to remote islands by plane. They can travel 100 kilometers per hour at maximum.

Developed by Japan Ministry of Defense and the Self-Defense Forces, a prototype of the vehicle was unveiled in October, the Kyodo reported.

The source said the vehicles are likely to be used by Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) starting from year 2016 after trials.

The source also said that the number of tanks used by the GSDF is likely to be reduced from the current 740 to 300 over the next decade beginning in 2014.

Global Times