Mitsubishi F-2

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The Mitsubishi F-2 is a multirole fighter that was derived from the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, and manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Lockheed Martin for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, with a 60/40 split in manufacturing between Japan and the United States. The basis of the F-2's design is the F-16C Block 40. Production started in 1996 and the first aircraft entered service in 2000.

The first 76 aircraft entered service by 2008, with a total of 98 airframes produced. The first active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar on a combat aircraft was the J/APG-1 introduced on the Mitsubishi F-2 in 1995.<ref name= "globalsecurity">Template:Cite web</ref>

The F-2 is nicknamed Viper Zero, a reference to the F-16's unofficial nickname of "Viper" and the Mitsubishi A6M Zero.<ref>Roblin, Sebastien. "Tsunami Devastated Japan's Souped Up F-16s. Template:Webarchive, The National Interest August 21, 2018. Retrieved January 27, 2019.</ref>

Development

US–Japan negotiations

The JASDF and its contractors considered developing a Japanese-designed, Japanese-produced replacement for the aging Mitsubishi F-1 fighter as early as 1981. A formal feasibility study commenced in 1985.<ref name= ":0">Template:Cite journal</ref>

Japan's initial intentions to develop the aircraft domestically built upon Japan's previous success in producing the F-15J fighter under license from McDonnell Douglas.<ref name= ":1">Template:Cite news</ref>

Japanese defense contractors argued that they needed to build a new aircraft from the beginning in order to develop the skill of their engineers and, in turn, develop the Japanese aircraft industry.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

As the program began to take formal shape in 1985, several United States officials raised concerns that the program would result in an inferior aircraft, and would weaken the U.S.–Japan defense relationship. Pentagon officials advocated co-production or co-development of an aircraft based on the F-16 or F/A-18 platform, as they believed that Japan would not agree to buy U.S. aircraft.<ref name= ":0" />

In early 1987, the U.S., through Caspar Weinberger and other administration officials, began formally pressuring Japan to execute the project as a U.S.–Japan bilateral joint development.<ref name= ":2">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name= ":1" /> The timing of this lobbying coincided with the height of "Japan bashing" in the United States: the Toshiba-Kongsberg scandal, in which Toshiba was found to have sold propeller milling machinery to the Soviet Union in violation of COCOM sanctions, became public in May 1987. Japan's negotiating stance changed amid the risk of deterioration in U.S.–Japan relations.<ref name= ":0" />

The Reagan administration and Nakasone government announced the joint project in October 1987.<ref name= ":3">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name= ":4">Template:Cite news</ref>

Under a memorandum of understanding signed in November 1988, General Dynamics would provide its F-16 Fighting Falcon technology to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and would handle up to 45 percent of the development work as a joint principal contractor.<ref name= ":1" /><ref name= ":3" />

On the American side, senior officials in the U.S. State Department and Defense Department supported the project as a means for the U.S. to access Japanese technology and as a means of strengthening U.S.–Japan relations, but the Commerce Department and many members of Congress opposed the project due to the risk of strengthening Japan's ability to compete with U.S. aerospace firms.<ref name= ":2" /> Opponents in Congress argued that Japan should acquire American aircraft in order to offset the trade deficit between the two countries.<ref name= ":5">Template:Cite news</ref> More than twenty members of the Senate demanded official review of the deal.<ref name= ":4" />

After George H. W. Bush took office as U.S. president in January 1989, the U.S. government responded to domestic criticism of the deal by seeking "clarification" of the terms of the MOU, which the Japanese government viewed as an attempt to re-negotiate it. The Bush administration was particularly concerned with the risks of transferring technology to Japan.<ref name= ":2" />

Bush announced a revised agreement in April 1989, shortly before the resignation of his Japanese counterpart Noboru Takeshita, under which Japanese access to flight control and weapons control software was limited, while the U.S. was to have access to any new technology that Japan developed for the project.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> American contractors were guaranteed at least 40% of the production for the program.<ref name= ":5" /> Congress ratified the deal in June 1989 while expressing official displeasure with it.<ref name= ":0" />

Japanese lawmaker Shintaro Ishihara was a vocal critic of the final deal, writing in 1990 that "our Foreign Ministry and other Government agencies decided it was better to eat humble pie than incur Uncle Sam's wrath on yet another bilateral issue," and pointing out that "we give away our most advanced defense technology to the United States but pay licensing and patent fees for each piece of technology we use."<ref name= ":1" />

Production

Work started in the FS-X program, initially given the company designation Mitsubishi SX-3.<ref name= "JAWA88-89">Template:Cite book</ref> In 1984 General Dynamics had offered an enlarged version of the F-16 to the US Air Force and considered entering it as a low cost alternative in the Advanced Tactical Fighter competition. Neither came to fruition, however this concept became the starting point for F-2 development. The F-2 has an enlarged wing design, similar to that of the Agile Falcon, but much of the electronics was further updated to 1990s standards. Japan selected the fighter to replace the F-4EJ and supplement the F-15J, its main air superiority fighter. The program involved technology transfer from the U.S. to Japan and vice versa.

Responsibility for cost sharing was split 60% by Japan and 40% by the U.S.<ref name= "Airforce-technology.com" /> Lockheed Martin would manufacture all the aft fuselages and wing leading-edge flaps and eight of the ten left-hand wingboxes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The F-2 program was controversial, because the unit cost, which includes development costs, is roughly four times that of a Block 50/52 F-16, which does not include development costs. Inclusion of development costs distorts the incremental unit cost (this happens with most modern military aircraft), though even at the planned procurement levels, the price per aircraft was somewhat high. The initial plan of 141 F-2s would have reduced the unit cost by up to Template:US$(€7.5 million), not including reduced cost from mass production. As of 2008, 94 aircraft were planned.<ref name= "Count94">Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref>

The F-2's maiden flight was on 7 October 1995. Later that year, the Japanese government approved an order for 141 (but that was soon cut to 130), to enter service by 1999; structural problems resulted in service entry being delayed until 2000. Because of issues with cost-efficiency, orders for the aircraft were curtailed to 98 (including four prototypes) in 2004.Template:Citation needed Flight testing of the four prototypes were conducted by the Japan Defense Agency at Gifu Air Field.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The last of 94 production aircraft ordered under contract was delivered to the Defense Ministry on 27 September 2011.<ref>Jiji Press, "Final F-2 fighter delivered to ASDF", Japan Times, 29 September 2011, p. 2.</ref> During the roll-out ceremony of the last production F-2 fighter jet, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries confirmed that production of the F-2 would end and no more F-2 fighters will be produced by the manufacturer.<ref name= "AirForceWorld.com_Mitsubishi_F2_fighter_end_production">Template:Cite web</ref> Template:As of there are 61 single-seaters flying, and 21 two-seat trainers.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

Design

General Electric, Kawasaki, Honeywell, Raytheon, NEC, Hazeltine, and Kokusai Electric were among the primary component sub-contractors. Lockheed Martin supplied the aft fuselage, leading-edge slats, stores management system, a large percentage of wingboxes (as part of two-way technology transfer agreements),<ref name= "AirForceWorld.com_Mitsubishi_F2_fighter_japan_agreement">Template:Cite web</ref> and other components.<ref>Lockheed Martin Press Release April 8, 2008</ref> Kawasaki built the midsection of the fuselage, as well as the doors to the main wheel and the engine,<ref name= "Airforce-technology.com"/> while the forward fuselage and wings were built by Mitsubishi.<ref name= "Airforce-technology.com"/>

Some of the avionics were supplied by Lockheed Martin, and the digital fly-by-wire system was jointly developed by Japan Aviation Electric and Honeywell (formerly Allied Signal).<ref name= "Airforce-technology.com"/> Contractors for communication systems and IFF interrogators included: Raytheon, NEC, Hazeltine, and Kokusai Electric.<ref name= "Airforce-technology.com"/> The fire control radar, IRS, the mission computer, and the EW system were developed by Japan.<ref name= ":7">Template:Cite book</ref>

In addition, the flight control computer, the flight control laws and related computer software were essentially all developed and integrated by Japan.<ref name= ":7" /> Final assembly was done in Japan, by MHI at its Komaki-South facility in Nagoya.

File:F2andF16.svg
F-2 and F-16 compared

Larger wings give an aircraft better payload and maneuverability in proportion to its thrust, but also tend to add weight to the airframe in various ways. More weight can have negative effects on acceleration, climbing, payload, and range. To make the larger wings lighter, the skin, spars, ribs and cap of the wings were made from graphite-epoxy composite and co-cured in an autoclave. This was the first application of co-cured technology to a production tactical fighter.<ref name= "Airforce-technology.com">Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Unreliable source?

This technology for the wings encountered some teething problems, but proved to be a leading-edge use of a technology that provides weight savings, improved range, and some stealth benefits. This technology was then transferred back to America, as part of the program's industrial partnership.<ref name= "Defense Industry Daily">Template:Cite web</ref>

The F-2 has three display screens, including a liquid crystal display from Yokogawa.

File:Diffferences between F-2 and F-16.png
Differences between F-2 and F-16 block 40

Mitsubishi used the existing F-16 design as a reference guide for design work, and more than 95% of F-16 engineering drawings are changed for F-2.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Some differences in the F-2 from the F-16A:

Also, the F-2 is equipped with a drogue parachute,<ref name= ":6" /> like the version of the F-16 used by South Korea, the Netherlands, Norway, Greece, Turkey, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Venezuela.

Operational history

On 7 February 2013, two Russian Air Force Sukhoi Su-27 fighters briefly entered Japanese airspace off Rishiri Island near Hokkaido, flying south over the Sea of Japan before turning back to the north.<ref name= "Russian fighter jets 'breach Japan airspace'"/> Four F-2 fighters were scrambled to visually confirm the Russian planes,<ref name= "Japan accuses Russian jets of violating airspace">Template:Citation</ref> warning them by radio to leave their airspace.<ref name= "Japan scrambles fighter jets as Russian warplanes intrude into airspace">Template:Citation</ref>

A photo taken by a JASDF pilot of one of the two Su-27s was released by the Japan Ministry of Defense.<ref name= "Japan says 2 Russian fighters entered its airspace">Template:Citation</ref> Russia denied the incursion, saying the jets were making routine flights near the disputed Kuril Islands.<ref name= "Russian fighter jets 'breach Japan airspace'">Template:Citation</ref>

On 22 August 2013, two Russian Tupolev Tu-142 Bear-F maritime patrol aircraft entered Japanese airspace near the major southern island of Kyushu for less than two minutes. F-2 fighters were scrambled in response.<ref>RSS&feedName= industrialsSector&rpc= 43 Japan scrambles jets, accusing Russian bombers of intrusion Template:Webarchive. Reuters, 22 August 2013.</ref>

Variants

File:F-2A (526) of 6 Sqn taxis at Andersen Air Force Base, -5 Feb. 2009 a.jpg
F-2 taxiing during the 2009 Cope North exercise

Operators

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As of March 2022, the JASDF operated 91 F-2.<ref name= "doj2022">Defence of Japan 2022 (Annual White Paper). p.53. Japan Ministry of Defence</ref>

Air Defense Command
Air Training Command
Air Development and Test Command

Accidents and incidents

  • On 31 October 2007, an F-2B crashed during takeoff and subsequently caught fire at Nagoya Airfield in central Japan. The jet was being taken up on a test flight by Mitsubishi employees, after major maintenance and before being delivered to the JASDF. Both test pilots survived the incident with only minor injuries.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It was eventually determined that improper wiring caused the crash.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • As a result of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, 18 F-2Bs belonging to the 21st Fighter Squadron at Matsushima Air Base were damaged or destroyed.<ref name= "fg_dewline_blog_201103">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Of these 18, 5 were deemed beyond repair and have been scrapped. The remaining 13 F-2s were repaired at the estimated cost of Template:JPYConvert. In the meantime, training duties carried out by the 21st Fighter Squadron have been transferred to other air bases. Repair work was completed by 2016, when the 21st Squadron returned to Matsushima.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
  • On 20 February 2019, an F-2B crashed during a training flight over the Sea of Japan. Both the flight instructor and pilot survived the accident.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
  • In April 2021, two F-2 jets (an F-2A and an F-2B) flying in formation, had a minor mid-air collision over Yamaguchi Prefecture. They safely landed afterwards with no reported injuries and little damage to the jets.<ref name= "mainichi.jp">Template:Cite news</ref>
  • On 7 August 2025, an F-2 stationed at Hyakuri Air Base crashed into the Pacific off Ibaraki Prefecture during a training flight. The pilot ejected and survived.<ref name= "nikkei.com">Template:Cite news</ref>

Specifications (F-2A)

File:Hyakuri F-2.JPG
Mitsubishi F-2A
File:AAM-4.jpg
Mitsubishi AAM-4 air-to-air missile
File:JASDF ASM-2 Dummy.JPG
ASM-2 air-to-surface missile
File:F-2A (53-8535) at Tsuiki.jpg
A JASDF F-2 loaded with AIM-7 Sparrow AAMs and AAM-3 SRAAMs.
File:JASDF F-2 carries XASM-3 at Gifu air base 2017.jpg
JASDF F-2 carries XASM-3 at Gifu air base May 2017.

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See also

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References

Citations

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Bibliography

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