More so than any other of its aircraft, the Mitsubishi Zero epitomized Japan's World War II air capabilities. Renowned for its strength as a dogfighter, the lightweight, agile airplane was the first naval fighter that could outperform land aircraft. The Zero would see prolific use throughout the war, as a total of approximately 11,000 of the fighters were produced through 1945, the most by far of any Japanese airplane. With the capability to reach speeds up to 350 mph and a range just shy of 2,000 miles, the aircraft gave the Japanese an early upper hand in combat, one that would subside later in the war with the introduction of more apt American fighters.