Why low-rate US-2 production depends on Mitsubishi

US-2 production is low rate and almost a cottage industry, far removed from a line turning out hundreds of aircraft. Six had been delivered by 2018, and the talk puts the subsequent total at nine, with construction continuing toward an earlier plan for fourteen. Those delivery totals concern a small production run, making each individual unit important. Mitsubishi's purchasing scale and supplier connections help reduce procurement costs for ShinMaywa. Adding the US-2's engine requirements to a much larger purchase can secure a discount that an order for four engines alone would not receive. Buying and shipping in bulk also makes the supply process cheaper and easier. That purchasing network helps sustain production of a sophisticated aircraft in small numbers.