F-5E Tiger II

The Northrop F-5E Tiger II is a supersonic light fighter aircraft produced by the Northrop Corporation in the United States. Designed for day air superiority and ground-attack roles, the aircraft entered service with the United States Air Force in April 1973. It is known for its low procurement and operational costs, compact airframe, and extensive adoption by foreign military operators.

Development

The F-5E was developed as a second-generation derivative of the original F-5 design led by engineers Edgar Schmued and Welko Gasich. In 1970, Northrop won the International Fighter Aircraft competition to build an improved version of the F-5A to supply American allies. The aircraft made its first flight on August 11, 1972. A total of 1,400 Tiger IIs were built before production ended in 1987, including license-built production lines in Switzerland, South Korea, and Taiwan.

Design

The aircraft is powered by two General Electric J85-GE-21 afterburning turbojet engines, each delivering 3,500 lbf dry thrust and 5,000 lbf in afterburner. Its aerodynamic features include enlarged leading-edge root extensions and an increased wing area to improve turn performance. Avionics include air-to-air radar systems, beginning with the Emerson Electric AN/APQ-153 and later upgraded to the AN/APQ-159 or AN/APG-69.

Armament

Internal gun armament consists of two 20 mm M39A2 revolver cannons mounted in the nose with 280 rounds per gun, though the two-seat F-5F variant retains only one cannon. The aircraft features seven hardpoints capable of carrying up to 7,000 pounds (3,200 kg) of payload. Ordnance options include wingtip-mounted AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missiles, unguided rocket pods, Mark 80-series bombs, cluster munitions, and laser-guided bombs.

Operational History

The F-5E saw combat in several regional conflicts, including the Ogaden War with Ethiopia, the Iran–Iraq War with Iran, the Western Sahara War with Morocco, and the 1994 Yemeni civil war. While primarily acquired by export allies such as Taiwan, South Korea, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia, the type was also utilized by the United States Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps. In U.S. service, the F-5E served as an opposing forces adversary trainer to simulate aircraft like the MiG-21 during air combat exercises.

Variants

• F-5E Tiger II: Single-seat supersonic fighter variant equipped with GE J85-GE-21 engines and an air-to-air radar system.

• F-5F Tiger II: Two-seat combat-capable trainer featuring a lengthened nose, single 20 mm cannon, and AN/APQ-157 radar.

• RF-5E Tigereye: Single-seat reconnaissance variant fitted with a nose-mounted sensor package displacing the radar and one cannon.

• F-5N: Modernized ex-Swiss Air Force F-5E single-seat aircraft operated by the United States Navy for adversary training roles.

• F-5EM: Upgraded Brazilian Air Force variant featuring Grifo-F radar, air-to-air refueling capability, and modernized avionics.