Following the resounding success of the F-5A Freedom Fighter, the USAF issued a request in 1970 for a new light fighter aircraft that could both be exported to America's allies (Under the Mutual Assistance Plan, or MAP) or put on the international market. Northrop decided to repeat the feat of the F-5A a second time, and offered up a brand-new variant, the F-5E Tiger II. Named to honour the well-known Skoshi Tiger Unit that was formed solely to test out the F-5A during the Vietnam War, the F-5E Tiger II, just like its predecessor, instantly became an enormous hit on the export market. For a price of about two million dollars US (Today), a country could equip its air force with a light, modern single-seat fighter. The tactical RF-5E Tigereye and the F-5F Tiger II also soon hit the market, seeing success with a number of Asian, Middle-Eastern and European countries.
After winning the contract, Northrop decided that this new F-5 would not be merely a modification of existing F-5 variants, but to ensure it would be a hit with its customers, it would be an almost completely new aircraft. The tried and true shape of the F-5A was largely retained, although the wingspan and length were increased. The aircraft's height and wing size were enlarged, but few other noticeable changes to the exterior were made. In order to make the F-5E suit its customers' needs, Northrop focused less on air-to-ground capabilities and more on air-to-air capabilities. Whereas the Freedom Fighter could bring many air-to-ground munitions to a battle, but unless otherwise modified couldn't equip air-to-air missiles, the Tiger II could carry more armament than the F-5A and still have room for two AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles.
The most intriguing of the F-5E's standard armament is the dual M39A2 cannon arrangement, with 280 rounds available per gun. The Pontiac M39A2 is an improvement of the previous M39, but uses the same 20mm shells as its predecessor. The two sidewinders allow the F-5E to defend itself against air targets at short ranges, while the previous F-5A would have had to rely on its cannons and rockets. 3175 Kg of ordnance can be stored on the F-5E's pylons, from Snakeye bombs, to 1,040 litre drop tanks, to cluster bomb or rocket launchers. The ultimate AGM, (Air-to-Ground-Missile), and armament, available to the F-5E is the AGM-65 Maverick missile. Although this requires the aircraft to be prepared, it gives the F-5E a tremendous tank destroying capability. The AGM-65 is far more accurate than rockets or bombs, and far more powerful than most guns.
Two General Electric-supplied J85-GE-21B afterburning turbojets power the F-5E, giving out 3.5 more kNs of power than the 18.15 kN J85-GE-13 that powered the F-5A. They also allow the aircraft to travel to speeds of 1700 KmH and increased the combat radius/range supplied by the previous F-5As engines. Another bonus of the F-5E was that it had good range without needing wingtip tanks, although drop tanks can be positioned on the hardpoints to increase range if need be. The cockpit was filled with dials and switches as opposed to the TV-screens on recent fighters. An AN/APQ-159 radar was stored in the nosecone with a range of 37 kilometers.
Two variants of the F-5E were built, the RF-5E Tigereye and the F-5F Tiger II, although the latter had greater export success. Only 12 RF-5E Tigereyes were constructed, six of which were modified F-5Es. The F-5F, slightly similar in performance to the T-38 Talon, was used as a two-seat trainer and strike aircraft.
Among the receivers of the F-5E, the most notorious were Switzerland and South Korea. Switzerland's FFA produced Tiger IIs under license, and they were used to replace the large Swiss Hawker Hunter force. South Korea also built the F-5E under license, as well as many examples of the two-seater F-5F variant. The US navy operated a variety of F-5Es as Mig-21 simulators in their infamous Top Gun program. Since the F-5 shared some performance simularities, and similar export success with the Mig-21, it was an ideal aggressor aircraft used to get pilots accustomed to fighting the "Fishbed". Many people recognize the F-5E Tiger II from its appearance in the classic fighter film Top Gun, where it was painted in a black scheme and called the "Mig-28" (There was no Soviet fighter with the designation Mig-28, it was a fictional craft).
After the Tiger II became commonplace among Asian, South American and Middle-Eastern countries, a variety of different upgrade packages and modifications were offered that would improve different aspects of the Tiger II. Israel's IAI offered the Tiger III package which upgraded avionics and weapons systems, of which Chile was one customer. Northrop Grumman offered the popular Tiger IV upgrade which also improved avionics and weapons systems. Many countries undertook indigenous modification programs, the most notorious being Iran. Iran designed the Azarakhsh, which was similar in performance and aesthetics to the F-5E. Israel's other F-5E modification was the Sa'eqeh, a variant with twin tails and improved power. The Sa'eqeh has been rumoured to have the performance of an American F-18 Hornet, however, this is neither true nor possible using the Sa'eqeh's limited airframe. Another radical variant of the F-5E was one considered by Taiwan, which if put into production would equip the extremely potent AIM-120 AMRAAMs.
In the early 1980s, Northrop drew up plans for another F-5A inspired fighter. It was designated the F-5G, but was re-designated the F-20 Tigershark when its prototype first flew in 1982. It was powered by the same engine as the F-18, the F404 turbofan. Unfortunately, Northrop was not able to secure any orders for the F-20, although it was an extreme improvement over its predecessors. It had Avionics suites similar to those of the F-16s, and only one engine as opposed to two.
Written by: Pace51