F-5 Tiger II Stars & Stripes Rocks Glass

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The F-5 is one of the most versatile and widely used light fighter aircraft of the Cold War era. Designed in the late 1950s as a low-cost, high-performance fighter for U.S. allies, the F-5 was compact, fast, and easy to maintain—making it an ideal export aircraft under programs like MAP (Military Assistance Program). It entered service in the early 1960s and came in two main variants: the F-5A Freedom Fighter and the more advanced F-5E Tiger II.

Powered by two General Electric J85 turbojets, the F-5 delivered supersonic performance in a small, agile package. Though lightly armed compared to heavier fighters, it carried twin 20mm cannons and a modest weapons load including air-to-air missiles, rockets, and bombs. Designed for air-to-air and limited air-to-ground missions, it proved particularly effective in the hands of well-trained pilots.

While never used in combat by the U.S. Air Force, the F-5 saw extensive action with U.S. allies in conflicts across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. It was flown in the Vietnam War by the South Vietnamese Air Force and later by nations like Iran, Ethiopia, and Taiwan. In U.S. service, the F-5 was best known as a dissimilar air combat trainer, used by the US Navy’s Top Gun school and USAF aggressor squadrons to simulate MiG fighters in training exercises.

Over 2,600 F-5s were built, and many remain in service today—some upgraded with modern avionics, radar, and weapons. Though small and unassuming, the F-5 proved that smart design, simplicity, and agility could punch well above their weight. It remains a Cold War classic still respected in air forces around the world.