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Mitsubishi Heavy Industries bids goodbye to F2 aircraft
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries President, Hideaki Omiya, and other officials are seen performing a ribbon cutting ceremony on Sept. 27, acknowledging the company's last production of its F2 aircraft. (Mainichi)
TOYOYAMA, Aichi -- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) announced on Sept. 27 that production of the multirole fighter F2 would come to an end, bringing a conclusion to the aircraft's 16-year history.
During a farewell ceremony held at the company's Komakiminami factory in Aichi Prefecture, President Hideaki Omiya handed over the company's last F2 fighter to the Ministry of Defense.
Deployment of the next generation experimental fighter (FX) has been scheduled for 2016, but the government has been delaying the model's selection.
The multirole, single-engine fighter aircraft produced for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF), was jointly developed by MHI, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company and other Japanese industries. Its first trial flight took place in 1995.
Since then, these companies have manufactured a total of 98 F2 aircrafts, but lost 18 in the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, when they were heavily damaged by tsunami waves at the Matsushima Air Base in Miyagi Prefecture.
Despite the end to further F2 production, however, MHI is still responsible for the maintenance of F2 aircraft currently used by the ASDF.
Nearly 1,100 affected part manufacturers say maintenance costs will become a burden.
"Since we won't receive any new orders, keeping up with maintenance only will be extremely costly.
Since it is difficult for us to meet civilian demand, the situation calls for a clear, appropriate decision," a related company official said.
(Mainichi Japan) September 28, 2011
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