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Mitsubishi F-2A

XF-2A in flight Type
Support fighter (defensive counter air, air interdiction, close air support, support of maritime operations)

Country (Land)
Japan

Manufacturer (Hersteller)
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
10 Oye-cho, Minato-ku
Nagoya 455
Japan

Partners include Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Fuji Heavy Industries and Lockheed Martin (Fort Worth)


General (Allgemeine Angaben)
Crew (Besatzung): 1 (2 in F-2B)

Weapons (Bewaffnung):
On its 11 external load stations, the F-2 can use a wide variety of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons, including

  • 20 mm M61A1 cannon (built in)
  • 2 - 6 x AIM-7F/M radar-guided air-to-air missiles
  • 2 - 4 x AIM-9 Sidewinder or AAM-3 IR-guided air-to-air missiles
  • 2 - 4 x ASM-1 or ASM-2 anti-ship missiles
  • 12 x Mk.82 bombs or GCS-1 bombs with IR seeker head
  • 2 x 450 kg bombs or 900 kg bombs
  • 3 x drop tanks (Zusatztanks) mit (with) 1135 l or 2270 l
Power plant (Antrieb):
1 x General Electric F110-GE-129 turbofan (licence assembly at Ishikawajima-Harima)
Thrust (Schub): 1 x 131,7 kN (29500 lbs) with afterburner (mit Nachbrenner), 1 x 75,5 kN (17000 lbs) dry (ohne Nachbrenner)

Dimensions (Abmessungen)
Length (Länge): 15,52 m
Heigth (Höhe): 4,96 m
Span (Spannweite): 11,13 m
Wing area (Flügelfläche): 34,84 sq m

Weights (Massen)
Empty weight (Leermasse): 9527 kg (9633 kg for F-2B)
Fuel (Kraftstoff): 3842 kg (3099 kg in F-2B)
External fuel (Zusatztanks): 5680 l
Max. external load (max. Außenlast): 8050 kg
Max. take-off weigth (Max. Startmasse): 22100 kg

Performance (Flugleistungen)
Max. speed (max. Fluggeschwindigkeit): Mach 2.0
Max. peed at low level (Geschwindigkeit in Bodennähe): Mach 1
Approach speed (Anfluggeschwindigkeit): 555 km/h
Radius of action (Aktionsradius): over 830 km (anti-ship mission)
g-limit (g-Limit): +9/-3

Customers (Kunden)
The F-2A and F-2B two-seater are exclusively for the Japan Air Self Defence Force. Exact procurement figures are not defined yet, but after much discussion of a reduction to 70 - 80 machines, the Cabinet in Tokyo has approved 130 F-2s in December 1995, with orders for 11 already in the budgets. 47 aircraft will be two-seaters.

Competitors (Konkurrenz)
Lockheed Martin F-16
McDonnell Douglas F-18

Remarks (Bemerkungen)
The F-2 programme was startet as the FS-X (Fighter Support Experimental on 21 October 1997, after much political debate on US pressure to base the new fighter on an existing American design, in this case the F-16. Mitsubishi is main contractor, but US companies get a 40 per cent share in development and production. Roll-out was on January 12, 1995, with all four prototypes now flying
  • October 7, 1995: XF-2A
  • December 13, 1995: XF-2A
  • April 17, 1996: XF-2B
  • May 24, 1996: XF-2B
Tests are scheduled until 1999, with deliveries beginning the same year and stretching well into the next decade. First unit will be 3rd squadron/3rd wing in Misawa.

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Last updated June 16, 1997
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