916 Starfighter

F-104J "671" (56-8671) 202nd Hikotai (squadron) Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) Nyutabaru Air Base taking off 1982

F-104J, construction number 683B-3171, model 583-07-14, serial number 56-8671, built by Mitsubishi
delivery date March 10, 1965; first unit 202 Hikotai of 5 Kokudan; later 203 Hikotai of 2 Kokudan; in 1982 202 Hikotai of 5 Kokudan again
withdrawn from use in April 1983; scrapped.

The Japanese Starfighter was given the designation F-104J, the J standing for Japan. It was similar in overall structure to the F-104G, but was equipped as an all-weather interceptor
rather than as an air-to-ground strike aircraft. One of the reasons for the choice of this option was that treaty restrictions at the time prevented Japan from acquiring any aircraft which
had even a hint of an offensive role.
The F-104J was powered by a Japanese built J79-IHI-11A engine built under license by Ishikawajima-Harima. It had an Automatics NASARR F-15J-31 fire control system optimized
for the air-to-air mode, and was armed with a 20-mm M61A1 cannon and four AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, two mounted under the wing and two carried on a rack on the fuselage centerline.

The first Lockheed-built F-104J (Model 683-07-14) flew on June 30, 1961. The first three F-104Js were built and assembled entirely by Lockheed.
29 more F-104J were assembled by Mitsubishi from knocked-down kits provided by Lockheed between March of 1962 and March of 1965.
Further F-104J were built from scratch by Mitsubishi, with a total of 178 Mitsubishi manufactured F-104J being delivered from March of 1965 through 1967.