The Mitsubish is a support fighter of the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF). At the time of the design`s inital proposal, the front-line fighter strenght of the JASDF was in a transformation phase from the F-86F Sabre to higher performance types such as the F-104J Starfighter and F-4EJ Phantom. during this transformation, it was soon realized that jet trainers of the day were sorely inadequate for training pilots for this next generation of fighters, and there was a need in the JASDF for a trainer capable of supersonic performance. At the first, the American T-38 was considered as a candidate for licensed Japanese production, but the final decision was made to develop a domestic design from ground up. The Defence Agency sent out desired specs to all major Japanese aerospace manufactures, and the main contract for what was then known as the '' X-T '' was awarded to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in September 1967, with numerous orther companies working as subcontractors. Altough th X-T was designed as a two-seater, twin-engined trainer, one stipulation in the Defense Agency`s specs was that the type could be used as the base for the FS-X support fighter in the event that this project got the go-ahead for development and production. work on the XT-2 project got underway in March 1968, and a mockup was ready by April 1969. The first prototype rolled out on April 23, 1971, and is maiden flight was made three months later on July 20. Main features of the T-2 are two-seater airframe powered by two Rolls Royce Turbomeca Adour turbofan engines, each capable of 3,310kg of thrust on aftherburnes. The wings are of a '' clipped delta '' type, set high in the fuselage and with 9-degree negative dihedral. Spoilers are used in lieu of more conventional ailerons in order to facilitate larger intakes. fixed arament consist of one M61A-1 Vulcan cannon. The aircraft is also fitted with domestically produced Mitsubishi Electronic J/AWG-11 radar fire control system, although this system is not present on first generation T-2 basic flight trainers.
There are both early late models of the T-2 trainer. Afther completing basic flight training on T-33A`s and winning their wings, New JASDF pilots get their first taste of supersonic flight in T-2 (Early) trainers during Combat Basic Training (CBT) at Matsushima JASDF Base. Afther this pace is completed, the pilots move on to Combat Training (CT), during wich they fly T-2 (Late) models equipped with radar and Vulcan cannon. upon graduation, the pilots aree assigned to regular JASDF units. The T-2`s at Matsushima were used for nearly thirty years before being retired in favor of new F-2B trainers. The T-2 also served as the mount for Bleu Impulse, the JASDF`s renowed aerobatic team, thrilling audiences nationwide during 175 public displays from 1982 to 1995. Bleu Impulse`s T-2s were a mixture of early and late models equipped with smoke generators. From 1981 to 1990, the T-2 (late) was also used as an aggresor plane for JASDF combat training.
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- No.101 Last flight Air Development Test Wing, J.A.S.D.F., Gifu Air Base.
