The first Northrop F-5A fighter aircraft flew in July 1963 and is still operated alongside its latest variant, the F-5E Tiger II, by more than a dozen air forces.
Designed as an extremely manoeuvrable, supersonic fighter with a high level of reliability at a low operating cost. The rugged twin-engine light tactical fighter was simple to maintain and has served in various roles including ground attack, reconnaissance, aggressor, and advanced training.
In April 2026, the Spanish Ministry of Defence, together with Airbus Defence and Space and TAI, launched an Integrated Combat Training System (ITS-C). This system aims to replace the aging fleet of 19 F-5B Freedom Fighter Lead-In Fighter Trainers (LIFT) of the Spanish Air Force with a solution based on the Hürjet, incorporating comprehensive simulation, instruction, and logistical support.
At the same time, the Mexican Air Force began replacing its F-5E/F Tiger IIs with a fourth-generation tactical fighter aircraft. The urgency is highlighted by a fleet down to only five or six airworthy planes mainly used for air policing, and by the operational maintenance issues handled by the Swiss firm RUAG. The Mexican Air Force Chief of Staff, General Roman Carmona Landa, announced the start of a procurement programme for at least 12 new combat aircraft to be operational by 2028.
The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) operates the largest fleet of F-4/F Tiger IIs, and in April, ROKAF Chief of Staff Gen. Son Seok-Rak announced that the service will retire its fleet of more than 60 remaining F-5-series aircraft by 2027, three years earlier than the previous 2030 target. The fleet includes KF-5E/F Jegong aircraft built under licence by Hanjin Corp./Korean Air, and F-5E/F variants that for many years have been part of ROKAF’s lower-tier tactical fighter inventory. Korea is accelerating its retirement as Korea Aerospace Industries ramps up production of the KF-21 Boramae multirole fighter, marking a key transition in the ROKAF’s tactical aircraft modernisation plan.
by David Oliver
