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. 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. 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. 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. 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. More than twenty members of the
Senate demanded official review of the deal. American contractors were guaranteed at least 40% of the production for the program. 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. 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 (
€7.5 million), not including reduced cost from mass production. As of 2008, 94 aircraft were planned. 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. Flight testing of the four prototypes were conducted by the
Japan Defense Agency at
Gifu Air Field. The last of 94 production aircraft ordered under contract was delivered to the Defense Ministry on 27 September 2011. 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. there are 61 single-seaters flying, and 21 two-seat trainers. == Design ==