Mitsubishi F-1

     Notes: This was one of Japan’s first post-war fighter designs, being first produced in 1967.  It is a combat version of the T-2 trainer, with the rear seat replaced by additional fuel and avionics, a gun and hardpoints added, and the nose filled with radar and more avionics.  It bears a marked (though coincidental) resemblance to the Jaguar, and it is often mistaken for the Jaguar at air shows.  The F-1’s primary job in the JASDAF is antishipping work, though most of the air-to-ground ordnance and gear of Japan may be used by the F-1. The F-1 was retired in 2006 in favor of the F-2, with 77 being built. During the 1990s, 70 of the F-1s were given a Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) to increase their lifetimes until sufficient quantities of the F-2 were in service.

     The wings of the F-1 are small for the aircraft size, with a wingspan of only 7.88 meters, and this leads to the relatively poor maneuverability of the F-1. The two wingtip hardpoints may only carry heat-seeking air-to-air missiles or the Sidearm antiradiation missile; extra fuel tanks may be carried on the centerline and inboard wing hardpoints. The F-1 is powered by two Ishikawa-Harima TF40-801A afterburning turbofan engines, delivering 5100 pounds thrust dry each or 8000 pounds thrust each in afterburner. These are licensed copies of the Rolls Royce Turbomeca Adour engine. The radar is likewise a licensed copy of the US AN/AWG-12 radar fitted to the F-4E Phantom II, and is designated the J/AWG-12.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The main limitations on the use of the F-1 during the Twilight War were its short range and the inability to refuel from US or South Korean tanker aircraft.

Mitsubishi F-2

     Notes: In the late 1980s, Japan was looking for an aircraft to replace its aging and outmoded F-1 strike fighters.  To this end, they designed the FS-X, based on an enlarged and modernized F-16C Block 40 airframe; after more modernization and development, this became the F-2.  Compared to the F-16C, the F-2 is a much more capable aircraft, with air-to-air capability nearly on par with the F-15 and an air-to-ground capability similar to the F/A-18. The F-2 is nicknamed by its pilots the Viper Zero, from the popular nickname of the F-16 and the Mitsubishi A6M Zero of World War 2 fame. Compared to the F-16C Block 40, the F-2 has much larger wings, much larger tail surfaces, and a somewhat larger fuselage. To keep weight down, much of the wing structure is made from graphite-epoxy composites. 98 were built, but some were prototypes, some test aircraft, and a few were destroyed in accidents. Production ended in 2011.

     Active chaff was developed for the F-2 similar to that used in the Eurofighter; this chaff is one level better in fighting lock-on and guidance attempts.  In addition, the composite wing structure gives the F-2 some minor stealth benefits; radar has a -2 penalty when trying to detect the F-2, and attempts to guide radar-homing missiles to the F-2 also have a -2 penalty. The pilot has three LCD MFDs in the cockpit to control most of the functions of the aircraft.  The F-2 actually has five hardpoints under each wing, to accommodate different loads, but only a maximum of four hardpoints under each wing may be employed at any one time, due to space requirements. The two wingtip hardpoints may only be loaded with air-to-air missiles, antiradiation missiles, or electronics pods or flare and chaff pods. Two of the hardpoints on each wing and the centerline hardpoint are plumbed for carrying extra fuel tanks. The F-2 is powered by a General Electric F110-IHI-129 afterburning turbofan engine, developing 17000 pounds of thrust dry or 29500 pounds of thrust in afterburner. The radar is a powerful AESA radar, the J/APG-2. The radios have a Link-16 and datalink compatibility and can talk to ground troops, ships, or other aircraft and receive information from AWACS-type aircraft and other tactical aircraft.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: These aircraft were standouts in the Twilight War, both over Korea and in defense of Japan.