The first-ever Japanese fighter aircraft that will land on Indian soil, the Mitsubishi F-2, is a variant of the F-16 that is used by Pakistan and encountered by the Indian Air Force in the past. Three F-2s from Koku-Jietai, as the Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF) is known, are arriving for Exercise Veer Guardian 2026 from September 9 to 21.To begin with, two JASDF C-2 transport aircraft touched down at Air Force Station Jodhpur on September 5, marking the arrival of the Japanese contingent for the second edition of the bilateral drill.“The exercise will further enhance interoperability, operational synergy and mutual understanding, reinforcing the enduring bonds of friendship between India and Japan,” the IAF said. The exercises symbolise the broadening and deepening of bilateral ties and strategic alignment between the two nations.The fighters belong to JASDF’s 8th Air Wing based at Tsuiki Air Base in south-western Japan that houses two units operating the F-2, the 6th Tactical Fighter Squadron and the 8th Tactical Fighter Squadron, besides an air defence missile group. The base dates back to October 1942 and was used during the Second World War for operations by the erstwhile Imperial Japanese Army Air Force.According to the World Air Forces – 2026 (WAF-2026) published by Flight International, the JASDF currently operates 85 F-2 multi-role aircraft. These equip three tactical squadrons and one fighter training squadron. The JASDF operates a total of about 320 fighters, the other being US-made F-15 Eagle and F-35s Lightning. The Indian Air Force, on the other hand, has about 600 fighters.The F-2 evolved from the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon and is manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Japan, and Lockheed Martin of the US with a roughly 60 : 40 share. Production started in 1996 and the first aircraft entered service in 2000.Nicknamed Viper Zero, the single engine fighter has a top speed of Mach 2, combat range: of 830 kms and a service ceiling of 59,000 feet. Its weapons payload includes a 20 mm cannon and upto 8,000 kg of different types of air-to-air missiles, anti-ship missiles, bombs and rockets.Though it closely resembles the F-16 in size and shape, the F-2 is larger and heavily modified, optimised more for maritime strike and coastal defence. According to publically available specifications, the F-2 has 25 percent larger wing area and a 17-inch longer fuselage.The Japanese fighter uses advanced graphite-epoxy composite materials in its wings to reduce weight and lower its radar signature. The F-2 features 11 external hardpoints for carrying ordnance or electronic warfare and recce pods compared to the nine hardpoints on most F-16 variants.Data compiled by WAF-2026 shows that Pakistan currently has 44 active F-16 A/C single seat variants and another 31 B/D two-seat trainer versions, which form less than 20 percent of its fighter fleet.The Pakistani F-16s are based at its Sargodha, Bholari and Jacobabad bases, all three of which were struck by the Indian Air Force during Operation Sindoor in 2025. Before this there have been a few instances of IAF fighters ‘locking on’ to Pakistani F-16s, especially during the 1999 Kargil conflict.Earlier this week, Pakistan’s F-16 again came into the limelight earlier this week over new reports on the retirement of Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman, an IAF MiG-21 pilot who had shot down an F-16 in aerial combat along the Line of Control in western Jammu and Kashmir in the aftermath of IAF strikes on terror camps at Balakot in 2019.