{
  "id": "f-5a-freedom-fighter",
  "name": "F-5A Freedom Fighter",
  "aliases": [],
  "domain": "air",
  "country": "USA",
  "category": "Supersonic light fighter aircraft",
  "status": null,
  "fielded": 1962,
  "operators": [
    "USA",
    "BWA",
    "TUR",
    "YEM"
  ],
  "prolif_count": 3,
  "summary": "F-5A Single-seat fighter version of F-5, originally without radar, but was later equipped with AN/APQ-153 radar during upgrades. The Northrop F-5 is a family of supersonic light fighter aircraft initially designed as a privately funded project in the late 1950s by Northrop Corporation.",
  "specs": [
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Manufacturer",
      "section": "system",
      "v": "Northrop Corporation",
      "src": [
        "weg-f-5a-freedom-fighter"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "crew",
      "v": 1,
      "src": [
        "weg-f-5a-freedom-fighter"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Hardpoints",
      "section": "armament",
      "v": "7 total (only pylon stations 3, 4 and 5 are wet-plumbed): 2× wing-tip AAM launch rails, 4× under-wing & 1× under-fuselage pylon stations with a capacity of…",
      "src": [
        "weg-f-5a-freedom-fighter"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "length_m",
      "v": 14.38,
      "src": [
        "weg-f-5a-freedom-fighter"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "width_m",
      "v": 7.7,
      "src": [
        "weg-f-5a-freedom-fighter"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "label": "Wingspan"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Wing area",
      "section": "dims",
      "v": "15.79 m sq",
      "src": [
        "weg-f-5a-freedom-fighter"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "height_m",
      "v": 4.06,
      "src": [
        "weg-f-5a-freedom-fighter"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "mass_kg",
      "v": 3667,
      "src": [
        "weg-f-5a-freedom-fighter"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "label": "Empty weight"
    },
    {
      "k": "mass_kg",
      "v": 9333,
      "src": [
        "weg-f-5a-freedom-fighter"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "label": "Max takeoff weight"
    },
    {
      "k": "engine_name",
      "v": "2 x General Electric J85-GE-13",
      "src": [
        "weg-f-5a-freedom-fighter"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "speed_kmh",
      "v": 1489,
      "src": [
        "weg-f-5a-freedom-fighter"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Cruise speed",
      "section": "mobility",
      "v": "904 kph",
      "src": [
        "weg-f-5a-freedom-fighter"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Rate of climb",
      "section": "mobility",
      "v": "8,748 m/min",
      "src": [
        "weg-f-5a-freedom-fighter"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "ceiling_m",
      "v": 15789,
      "src": [
        "weg-f-5a-freedom-fighter"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Ferry range",
      "section": "mobility",
      "v": "2,519 km tanks dropped",
      "src": [
        "weg-f-5a-freedom-fighter"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Fire Control Radar",
      "section": "firecontrol",
      "v": "AN/APQ-153 Radar",
      "src": [
        "weg-f-5a-freedom-fighter"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Main Missile Systems",
      "section": "armament",
      "v": "2 x AIM-9 Sidewinder AAM on wingtip launchers",
      "src": [
        "weg-f-5a-freedom-fighter"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Bomb Weapon Systems",
      "section": "armament",
      "v": "9 x 500-lb (227-kg) bombs",
      "src": [
        "weg-f-5a-freedom-fighter"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "armament",
      "v": "1 x M39 Autocannon; 2× LAU-61/LAU-68 rocket pods (each with 19× /7× Hydra 70 mm rockets, r",
      "src": [
        "weg-f-5a-freedom-fighter"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    }
  ],
  "payloads": [
    {
      "name": "1 x M39 Autocannon",
      "role": "Single-Barrel Autocannon",
      "src": [
        "weg-f-5a-freedom-fighter"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "caps": {
        "Type": "Single-Barrel Autocannon",
        "Caliber": "20 mm",
        "Rate of fire": "1,500 rpm"
      },
      "qty": "280 Rounds"
    },
    {
      "name": "2× LAU-61/LAU-68 rocket pods (each with 19× /7× Hydra 70 mm rockets, r",
      "role": "Weapon",
      "src": [
        "weg-f-5a-freedom-fighter"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "caps": {}
    }
  ],
  "variants": [],
  "art": "fighter",
  "image": {
    "file": "f-5a-freedom-fighter.jpg",
    "thumb": "f-5a-freedom-fighter-thumb.jpg",
    "credit": "Alan Wilson from Peterborough, Cambs, UK",
    "license": "CC BY-SA 2.0",
    "url": "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Northrop_F-5A_Freedom_Fighter_%E2%80%98134%E2%80%99_(49261029928).jpg",
    "title": "File:Northrop F-5A Freedom Fighter ‘134’ (49261029928).jpg"
  },
  "verified": null,
  "changelog": [
    {
      "date": "2026-10-10",
      "change": "Entry created from the Worldwide Equipment Guide (ODIN), bulk import"
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-10-10",
      "change": "Added photo (CC BY-SA 2.0)"
    }
  ],
  "url": "https://www.defensepedia.com/systems/f-5a-freedom-fighter.html",
  "sources": {
    "weg-f-5a-freedom-fighter": {
      "title": "F-5A Freedom Fighter American Supersonic Light Fighter Aircraft",
      "publisher": "U.S. Army TRADOC G-2 Worldwide Equipment Guide (ODIN)",
      "url": "https://odin.t2com.army.mil/WEG/Asset/F-5A_Freedom_Fighter_American_Supersonic_Light_Fighter_Aircraft",
      "published": "2026-03-20",
      "tier": 1,
      "checked": "2026-10-10"
    }
  }
}