Role Carrierbased fighter aircraft
National origin Japan
Manufacturer Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Designer Jiro Horikoshi
First flight 1 April 1939
Introduction 1 July 1940
Retired 1945 (Japan)
Primary user Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service
Produced 1939–1945
Number built 10,939
Variants Nakajima A6M2N

The Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" was a longrange carrierbased fighter aircraft formerly manufactured by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. The A6M was designated as the Mitsubishi Navy Type 0 carrier fighter (零式艦上戦闘機, reishikikanjōsentōki), or the Mitsubishi A6M Reisen. The A6M was usually referred to by its pilots as the Reisen (零戦, zero fighter),
"0" being the last digit of the imperial year 2600 (1940) when it entered service with the Imperial Navy. The official Allied reporting name was "Zeke", although the name "Zero" (from Type 0) was used colloquially by the Allies as well.

The Zero is considered to have been the most capable carrierbased fighter in the world when it was introduced early in World War II, combining excellent maneuverability and very long range. The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) also frequently used it as a landbased fighter.

In early combat operations, the Zero gained a reputation as a dogfighter, achieving an outstanding kill ratio of 12 to 1, but by mid1942 a combination of new tactics and the introduction of better equipment enabled Allied pilots to engage the Zero on generally equal terms.

By 1943, the Zero was less effective against newer Allied fighters due to design limitations. It lacked hydraulic boosting for its ailerons and rudder, rendering it extremely difficult to maneuver at high speeds. By 1944, with Allied fighters approaching the A6M levels of maneuverability and consistently exceeding its firepower, armor, and speed, the A6M had largely become outdated as a fighter aircraft. However, as design delays and production difficulties hampered the introduction of newer Japanese aircraft models,

the Zero continued to serve in a frontline role until the end of the war in the Pacific. During the final phases, it was also adapted for use in kamikaze operations. Japan produced more Zeros than any other model of combat aircraft during the war.

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