Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter

The Northrop F-5A/B Freedom Fighter and F-5E/F Tiger II are part of a supersonic light fighter family, initially designed in the late 1950s by Northrop Corporation. Being smaller and simpler than contemporaries such as the McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom II, the F-5 cost less to both procure and operate, making it a popular export aircraft. The F-5 started life as a privately funded light fighter program by Northrop in the 1950s. The design team wrapped a small, highly aerodynamic fighter around two compact and high-thrust General Electric J85 engines, focusing on performance and low cost of maintenance. Though primarily designed for the day air superiority role, the aircraft is also a capable ground-attack platform. The F-5A entered service in the early 1960s. During the Cold War, over 800 were produced through 1972 for U.S. allies. Though the USAF had no acknowledged need for a light fighter, it did procure roughly 1,200 Northrop T-38 Talon trainer aircraft, which were directly based on the F-5A.
After winning the International Fighter Aircraft competition in 1970, a program aimed at providing effective low-cost fighters to American allies, Northrop introduced the second-generation F-5E/F Tiger II in 1972. This upgrade included more powerful engines, higher fuel capacity, greater wing area and improved leading edge extensions for a better turn rate, optional air-to-air refueling, and improved avionics including air-to-air radar. Primarily used by American allies, it remains in US service to support training exercises. It has served in a wide array of roles, being able to perform both air and ground attack duties; the type was used extensively in Vietnam. A total of 1,400 Tiger IIs were built before production ended in 1987. More than 3,800 F-5 and the closely related T-38 advanced trainer aircraft were produced in Hawthorne, California. The F-5N/F variants are in service with the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps as an adversary trainer. Approximately 500 aircraft are in service as of 2014.
The F-5 was also developed into a dedicated reconnaissance version, the RF-5 Tigereye. The F-5 also served as a starting point for a series of design studies which resulted in the Northrop YF-17 and the F/A-18 navalized fighter aircraft. The Northrop F-20 Tigershark was an advanced variant to succeed the F-5E which was ultimately canceled when export customers did not emerge.
==Users==
*Austria
**Austrian Air Force
*Bahrain
**Royal Bahraini Air Force
*Botswana
**Botswana Air Force
*Brazil
**Brazilian Air Force
*Canada
**Royal Canadian Air Force - see Canadair CF-5 Freedom Fighter
*Chile
**Chilean Air Force
*Republic of China
**Republic of China Air Force
*Ethiopia
**Ethiopian Air Force
*Greece
**Hellenic Air Force
*Honduras
**Honduran Air Force
*Indonesia
**Indonesian Air Force
*Iran
**Imperial Iranian Air Force/Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force - see also HESA Azarakhsh and HESA Saeqeh
*Jordan
**Royal Jordanian Air Force
*Kenya
**Kenyan Air Force
*Republic of Korea
**Republic of Korea Air Force
*Libya
**Libyan Air Force
*Malaysia
**Royal Malaysian Air Force
*Mexico
**Mexican Air Force
*Morocco
**Royal Moroccan Air Force
*Netherlands
**Royal Netherlands Air Force
*Norway
**Royal Norwegian Air Force
*Philippines
**Philippine Air Force
*Saudi Arabia
**Royal Saudi Air Force
*Singapore
**Republic of Singapore Air Force
*Soviet Union
**Soviet Air Force
*Spain
**Spanish Air Force
*Sudan
**Sudanese Air Force
*Switzerland
**Swiss Air Force
*Thailand
**Royal Thai Air Force
*Tunisia
**Tunisian Air Force
*Turkey
**Turkish Air Force
*United States
**United States Air Force
**United States Marine Corps
**United States Navy
*Venezuela
**Venezuelan Air Force
*Vietnam
**Republic of Vietnam Air Force
**Vietnam People's Air Force
*Yemen
**Yemen Air Force
==See Also==
===Related Development===
*Northrop T-38 Talon
*Northrop F-20 Tigershark
*Canadair CF-5 Freedom Fighter
*HESA Azarakhsh
*HESA Saeqeh
===See Also===
*Dassault Mirage F1
*Fiat G.91
**Fiat/Aeritalia G.91Y
*Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21
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