Mitsubishi F-2 Multirole Fighter - History, Specs and Pictures

Authored By Staff Writer | Last Updated: 8/23/2012

The F-2 is a Mitsubishi-produced version of the General Dynamics Lockheed F-16C Fighting Falcon.

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The Mitsubishi F-2 fighter was initially to be a completely indigenous Japanese design, looking to replace their aging fleet of F-1's. With design work already underway, the United States stepped in with a considerable amount of political and economic pressure to force Japan into abandoning their indigenous design in favor of continued support for American-produced military equipment. Hence, the development of the F-2 became a mere further development of the already tried and proven - yet fully American - Lockheed F-16C Fighting Falcon multirole fighter.

The Mitsubishi F-2 based variant of the F-16, however, would go on to incorporate just enough new features and local equipment and technology to warrant the F-2 as a mostly Japanese design. The F-2 was, like the F-16C before it, a single-seat single-engine design powered by the successful General Electric GE F100-series of turbofan. The fuselage, though appearing very similar to the F-16, was in actuality about 25 percent larger than the base design and constructed of more advanced composites. The fuselage on the F-2 was designed to be longer than the F-16C and - due to restrictions imposed by the Americans on the release of their fly-by-wire control software - all internal digital systems was homegrown including the powerful active phased array radar system mounted in the nose cone.

About 140 F-2's were initially ordered to fulfill a maritime strike role for Japan but budget constraints trimmed total initial production numbers. The systems saw extensive delays early on, with the tail assembly produced by Lockheed Martin and developmental problems arising out of the new composite wing systems, yet the system was eventually fielded by 2000. At about $100,000,000 a piece, the developed F-16C finds a new form in the way of the Mitsubishi F-2, and will most likely pave the way for even better indigenous designs in the near future. Text ©2003-2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Permitted
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Specifications for the
Mitsubishi F-2
Multirole Fighter

Country of Origin: Japan
Manufacturer: Mitsubishi - Japan
Initial Year of Service: 2000
Production: 130

Focus Model: Mitsubishi F-2
Crew: 1

Length: 50.92ft (15.52m)
Width: 36.52ft (11.13m)
Height: 16.27ft (4.96m)
Weight (Empty): 20,999lbs (9,525kg)
Weight (MTOW): 48,722lbs (22,100kg)

Powerplant: 1 x General Electric F110-GE-129 turbofan engine with afterburn generating 29,600lbs of thrust.

Maximum Speed: 0mph (0kmh; 0kts)
Maximum Range: 516miles (830km)
Service Ceiling: 50,033ft (15,250m; 9.5miles)
Rate-of-Climb: 0 feet per minute (0m/min)

Hardpoints: 7 (including wingtip mounts)
Armament Suite:
1 x 20mm cannon

Mission-Specific Ordnance Includes:

2 x AIM-7 Sparrow AAMs
2 x AIM-9 Sidewinder/Mitsubishi AAM-3 AAMs
Various bomb and rocket loadouts as well

Variants:
FS-X - Support Fighter Program Designation of which four were produced based on existing F-16C Fighting Falcon design.

TFS-X - Proposed Two-Seat Conversion Trainer Model Designation.

F-2 - Initial Production Model Designation

F-2A - Single-Seat Model Designation

F-2B - Two-Seat Conversion Trainer Model Designation.

Operators:
Japan

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