on 28 june 1988, the first production t-4 conducted its first flight; deliveries to the jasdf began in september of that year. it was observed by kawasaki that the programme had not only been delivered as per schedule, but both the aircraft and its ishikawajima-harima f3-ihi-30 powerplant had attained their respective cost targets; flight international contrasted the t-4 against the american fairchild t-46, a cancelled jet trainer which had cost five times as much as kawaski's offering without reaching production.