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Mitsubishi F-2

History of the Mitsubishi F-2

The Mitsubishi F-2 fighter was originally designed as an all-Japan homegrown multirole fighter to replace the aging Mitsubishi F-1 fleet. As early as the 1980s, when the design of the program known as FS-X was underway, the U.S. government intervened with enough political and economic pressure to force Japan to abandon its homegrown fighter program in favor of relinquishing U.S. military equipment of origin.

As a result, the Japanese homegrown initiative ended in 1987, with the program focusing on the acquisition of the multi-role platform Lockheed F-16C Fighting Falcon (Block 40). The aircraft will be modified to meet Japanese military needs under the direction of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Lockheed remains a major U.S. contributor. General Electric will provide the necessary turbofan engines. The program initially produced four modified F-16Cs as prototypes. The first flight was recorded on October 7, 1995, and in December, the aircraft was officially designated the "F-2".

Adopted in 2000, the F-2 continues to provide air defense, ground attack and naval attack missions to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF). With the ongoing dispute with China and general unrest in the region, the F-2 is playing an increasingly important role in Japan's flight operations against the island nation (January 2014).

Although it may seem obvious to an American fighter, the Mitsubishi F-2 incorporates enough new features and local technology to consider it the Japanese version of the F-16. The F-2 is essentially a single-seat, single-engine compartment powered by GE's successful F100 series of reheated (afterburner) turbofan engines. Although the fuselage mimics the American F-16C in general outline and shape, it has grown to be approximately 25% larger and introduced more advanced composite materials into its structure. The fuselage was lengthened and a three-piece frame cockpit was chosen instead of the all-glass version of the F-16. The surface area of ??the rear wing is increased, while the air intakes are larger in size.

Due to U.S. State Department restrictions on the export of fly-by-wire software, Japanese engineers developed a local solution.

Additionally, the nose assembly houses a Mitsubishi-branded Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, while the cockpit houses a Head-Up Display (HUD), Color Multi-Function Display (MFD) and Manual Throttle Stick (HOTAS) control arrangements.

The F-2 is 51 feet long, with a wingspan of 36.5 feet and a height of 15.5 feet. The kerb weight is specified at 21,000 pounds, and the maximum takeoff weight is 48,500 pounds. The GE F110-GE-129 engine produces 17,000 pounds of dry thrust and 29,500 pounds of afterburner thrust.

Performance figures include a top speed of Mach 2, a range of 520 miles and a service ceiling of 59,000 feet. Parachute parachutes help provide short airport landings.

The F-2's standard armament consists of a 20mm JM61A1 internal cannon for close combat. Optional weapons remain fully external via five hardpoints (one lower fuselage and four lower wings) for a combined weight of 17,830 lbs. The armor kit includes a combination of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons. Like the American F-16C, the F-2's wingtips are reserved for the AIM-9 Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missile (or the local Mitsubishi AAM-3 missile). Other air-to-air options include the American AIM-7 Sparrow or the local Mitsubishi AAM-4 missile.

For land attack and sea attack, the F-2 is certified to carry ASM-1 and ASM-2 anti-ship missiles, anti-radiation missiles, precision-guided munitions and conventionally delivered weapons. Fuselage and internal underwing hardpoints are further designed for external fuel tanks to increase the combat range of the fleet.

Initially, the Japanese government ordered 140 aircraft from the FS-X program. However, budget constraints soon limited it to less than 100, which has since grown to 94 production-quality airframes, as well as four early prototypes. Subsequently, the aircraft experienced severe delays due to tail components made by Lockheed Martin, and the new composite wing encountered development problems. This resulted in the series not officially entering service until 2000 (1999 was the target year). By this time, they were rapidly replacing the F-1s that were out of Japanese inventory.

Production lasted from 1995 to 2011 and is now complete. Early production prototypes cost the Defense Agency $100 million each, which proved problematic in Japanese politics at the time. In fact, it would be cheaper to buy an existing F-16 airframe.

A total of four different production brands appeared. Two of these were single-seat XF-2A prototypes, followed by two two-seat XF-2B prototypes. The F-2A became the standard single-seat fighter, complemented by the two-seat F-2B trainer with dual cockpits and dual controls.

The F-2 is currently in service with Air Defense Command, Air Training Command, and Air Development and Test Command. 18 F-2s were damaged in the 2011 tsunami.

The Mitsubishi F-2 is roughly equivalent to the Chengdu J-10 Jinlong, which will be its main opponent in an all-out confrontation with China.