Comparing: Type 2597 Chi-Ha vs. M22 Locust

Developed by Mitsubishi from 1935 through 1937. The vehicle was mass-produced from 1938 through 1942, alongside an upgraded Shinhoto Chi-Ha for the last two years, with a total of 1,220 vehicles of both types manufactured. The Chi-Ha and Shinhoto Chi-Ha tanks were widely used by Japanese forces in China, and after Japan capitulation, these vehicles were used by both the PLA and Kuomintang forces in the Civil War of 1946.

Initially designed for airborne operations, the vehicle was never used as such by the U.S.A. during World War II. In the absence of a good air delivery system, the Ordnance Department became less enthusiastic about any further development.