Northrop F-5 - Operators

Operators

Austria

Austrian Air Force: On loan from Switzerland – all aircraft returned and replaced by Eurofighters

Bahrain

Bahrain Air Force received eight F-5Es and two F-5Fs in between 1985 and 1987.

Botswana

Botswana Air Force purchased 10 upgraded CF-5As and 3 CF-5Ds from Canada in 1996. A further two CF-5Ds were purchased in 2000.

Brazil

Brazilian Air Force operates 51 F-5EM and six F-5FM; to be withdrawn gradually between 2017 and 2030.

Canada

Canadian Forces – see Canadair CF-5

Chile

Chilean Air Force: Chile purchased 15 F-Es and 3 F-5Fs in the 1970s, these being upgraded to Tigre III standard from 1993. In 1995, it supplemented its fleet with 10 F-5Es and 2 F-5Fs from Honduras. 16 F-5Es were replaced in 2009 by 16 F-16 Fighting Falcon MLU T5. A total of 10 F-5s remain operational as of 2009.

Republic of China (Taiwan)

Republic of China Air Force: Received 115 F-5A and B from 1965, 48 were transferred to South Vietnam before 1975. From 1973 to 1986, Taiwan produced 308 F-5E/Fs under license. Later batches of locally AIDC licensed production of Tiger IIs were fitted with flare/chaff dispensers, plus handling qualities upgrades with enlarged LEX and F-20's shark nose, and radar warning receivers(RWR).

Ethiopia

Ethiopian Air Force first delivery in 1966 it has operated the A, B and E variants.

Greece

Hellenic Air Force first deliveries of 52 F-5As from June 1965 under the United States Mutual Assistance Program, later followed by F-5B and RF-5As. Greece was later to operated five squadrons of F-5s with many obtained second-hand.

Honduras

Honduran Air Force following an embargo on Israel supplied Kfirs the United States delivered ten F-5E and two F-5Fs starting in 1987, they were refurbished former United States Air Force aircraft.

Indonesia

Indonesian Air Force: All 16 F-5Es have been retired since late 2005 but are in reserve in case of future use.

Iran

Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force: 60 or 75 F-5E and F operational; 140 originally delivered
Unknown numbers of HESA Saeqeh and HESA Azarakhsh fighters derived from the F-5 design

Jordan

Royal Jordanian Air Force

Kenya

Kenya Air Force: In July 2008, it was reported that Kenya will spend 1.5 billion KSh to buy 15 former Jordanian Air Force F-5s, 13 F-5E and two F-5F upgraded with Rockwell Collins avionics (plus training and spare parts).They will be added or eventually replace the current F-5 fleet

Republic of Korea

Republic of Korea Air Force received a total of 340 F-5s (88 F-5A, 30 F-5B, 8 RF-5A, 126 F-5E, 20 F-5F, 48 KF-5E, and 20 KF-5F).

Libya

Royal Libyan Air Force to 1969. 10 F-5s. May have been sold to Turkey after 1969.

Mexico

Mexican Air Force received 12 F-5s in 1982. The service currently operates eight F-5Es and two F-5Fs.

Morocco

Royal Moroccan Air Force operates 33 F-5A/Bs including nine F-5E/Fs and 24 upgraded F-5TIIIs.

Malaysia

Royal Malaysian Air Force uses four as trainer aircraft while another eighteen of its Northrop F-5 Tiger IIs were upgraded for reconnaissance purposes, however the operational status for these are grounded.

Netherlands

Royal Netherlands Air Force former operator

Norway

Royal Norwegian Air Force former operator

Philippines

Philippine Air Force received 19 F-5A (single seat) and three F-5B (two seater) aircraft in 1965-1967. In 1989, the PAF received three ex-Taiwanese F-5A and single F-5B. In 1990s at least eight ex-South Korean F-5A and two Jordanian F-5A were acquired. All F-5 upgrades were abandoned in 2008. The Philippines decommissioned its F-5A/B fleet in 2011.

Saudi Arabia

Royal Saudi Air Force: 110 F-5E/Fs withdrawn from active service aside from in the trainer role, some squadrons such as #10 based in Taif will be replaced with Eurofighter Typhoon.

Singapore

Republic of Singapore Air Force: operates 32 F-5S, 9 F-5T and 8 RF-5S fighters.

South Vietnam

Vietnam Air Force received fleet of 158 former US, Korean, Iranian and Chinese F-5A Freedom Fighters, 10 RF-5A and 8 F-5B trainers, USA provided also newer F-5E Tiger IIs, most of F-5 were evacuated to Thailand in 1975, but many were captured by People's Army.

Spain

Spanish Air Force, operates 20 F-5Bs as trainers for fighter school.

Sudan

Sudanese Air Force: 10 F-5Es and two F-5F were delivered in 1978, One of the F-5Fs was sold to Jordan. further two F-5s defected to Sudan from Ethiopia during the Ogaden crisis.

Switzerland

Swiss Air Force: Operating 42 F-5E and 12 F-5F Tiger II.

Thailand

Royal Thai Air Force: F-5A retired. Now operates F-5B/E/F/T, F-5B/E slated for retirement in 2011-2012, to be replaced by 12-JAS 39 Gripen. The last F-5 fleet, upgraded F-5T Tigris and F-5F will continue to serve to 2015-2020.

Tunisia

Tunisian Air Force

Turkey

Turkish Air Force: More than 200 F-5A/Bs and NF-5A/Bs were bought from various countries. Between 40 and 50 of them were upgraded to F-5/2000 standard during the 2000s (decade); Turkish Stars aerobatic team. In total, 50 NF-5A and 25 NF-5B remain operational.

Soviet Union

F-5Es were received from Vietnam and the Derg regime in Ethiopia for performance tests and evaluation flights. They were tested in mock combat against MiG-21 and MiG-23 aircraft, ultimately aiding in the development of the MiG-23MLD and the MiG-29.

United States

United States Air Force former operator

26th Aggressor Squadron

64th Fighter Weapons Squadron

65th Fighter Weapons Squadron

527th Aggressor Squadron

United States Marine Corps
United States Navy

Venezuela

Venezuelan Air Force

Vietnam

Vietnam People's Air Force (several captured ex-VNAF aircraft). One F-5E (s/n 73-00867) was transferred to the Soviet Union for evaluation flights, i.e. against the MiG-21bis; 40+ F-5E/F/C were in VNAF's service. After the Vietnam War, Vietnamese forces used the captured F-5 fleet against Chinese forces during Sino-Vietnamese War.

Yemen

Yemen Air Force: North Yemen Air Force's 14 F-5E/F fleet were initially piloted by ROCAF/Taiwan pilots as part of 115th Squadron at Sana‘a, from April 1979 to May 1990, to boost its air defense.

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