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Japan Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Mitsubishi F-2
Japanese multirole fighter co-developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Lockheed Martin, derived from and enlarged upon the F-16 airframe with a composite wing and indigenous AESA radar. Operated exclusively by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.
In service since 2000 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
2,124
km/h
4,000
km range
18,000
m ceiling
8,085
kg payload
0.91
T/W
💲 ≈ $127,000,000, High historical unit cost reflecting small production run
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
National export licensing
Subject to Japan export-control approval; verify eligibility with the manufacturer.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 2000. Status: active · ~98 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$318M – $445M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost, operating & support dominate over ~30 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price. How we estimate this →
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Compatible munitions & weapons
Publicly reported weapons the Mitsubishi F-2 can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
| Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance. | 2,124 km/h |
|---|---|
| Max speed (Mach) Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters. | 2 Mach |
| Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence. | 4,000 km |
| Combat radius Distance an aircraft can fly, complete its mission and return without refueling. Roughly a third of ferry range. | 830 km |
| Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon. | 18,000 m |
| Thrust-to-weight Engine thrust divided by loaded weight. Above 1.0 the aircraft can accelerate going straight up. | 0.91 |
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type. | 20 mm M61A1 Vulcan rotary cannon |
|---|---|
| Hardpoints External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts. | 13 |
| Weapons payload Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie. | 8,085 kg |
Protection
Armor, countermeasures and survivability.
| Countermeasures Self-protection: chaff, flares, DIRCM, towed decoys, smoke dischargers, jammers. | J/ALQ-8 EW suite, chaff, flares |
|---|
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable. | 15.52 m |
|---|---|
| Wingspan Wingtip-to-wingtip span. | 11.13 m |
| Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles. | 4.96 m |
| Empty weight Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew. | 9,527 kg |
| Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor. | 15,900 kg |
| Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity. | 1 |
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
| Engine Powerplant model and type. | General Electric F110-GE-129 afterburning turbofan |
|---|---|
| Engines Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost. | 1 |
| Thrust Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable). | 131 kN |
| Fuel capacity Internal fuel volume. | 4,300 L |
| Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet… | Turbofan |
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
| Radar Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art. | J/APG-1 or J/APG-2 AESA |
|---|
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
| Unit cost Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper. | $127,000,000 |
|---|---|
| Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability. | 98 |
| Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem. | 1 |
Specifications compiled from public Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
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Eurofighter GmbH Eurofighter Typhoon Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsubishi F-2? +
The Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsubishi F-2 has a maximum speed of 2,124 km/h.
What is the range of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsubishi F-2? +
The Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsubishi F-2 has a maximum range of 4,000 km.
What is the weapons payload of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsubishi F-2? +
The Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsubishi F-2 can carry up to 8,085 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsubishi F-2 weigh? +
The Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsubishi F-2 has a combat weight of 15,900 kg.
How many crew does the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsubishi F-2 require? +
The Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsubishi F-2 requires a crew of 1.
What is the main armament of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsubishi F-2? +
The Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsubishi F-2's primary weapon is the 20 mm M61A1 Vulcan rotary cannon.
What engine does the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsubishi F-2 use? +
The Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsubishi F-2 is powered by the General Electric F110-GE-129 afterburning turbofan.
What is the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsubishi F-2 used for? +
The Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsubishi F-2 is a fighter aircraft typically used for multirole combat, close air support, air superiority.
How many countries operate the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsubishi F-2? +
The Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsubishi F-2 is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsubishi F-2 cost? +
The Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsubishi F-2 has an approximate unit cost of 127,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.
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