In 1925, in addition to tankettes, the Japanese Army began to design tanks to satisfy its own requirements. Before that year, as with most nations, all tanks in Japanese service had been of foreign design and/or manufacture. The first Japanese design was finished in May 1926 and the prototype Type 87 Chi-I medium tank was completed by February 1927. After trials, the Chi-I was considered too heavy and slow to be used as its main tank. It was decided to create a new design modeled after the Vickers Medium C prototype, which had been bought by the Japanese Army in March 1927. By 1929 the prototype of the Type 89 Chi-Ro (Experimental Tank Number 2) was completed.