D
Air ForcesUnited States

F-5A Freedom Fighter

Supersonic light fighter aircraftFielded 1962Pending verification
Air ForcesUSA
F-5A Freedom Fighter
Photo: Alan Wilson from Peterborough, Cambs, UK · CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Fact cardConfidence · Source
System
TypeSupersonic light fighter aircraft
Date of introduction1962
ProliferationAt least 4 countries
ManufacturerNorthrop CorporationMed[1]
Crew1Med[1]
Dimensions and weight
Length14.38 m47 ftMed[1]
Wingspan7.7 m25 ftMed[1]
Wing area15.79 m sqMed[1]
Height4.06 m13 ftMed[1]
Empty weight3,667 kg8,084 lbMed[1]
Max takeoff weight9,333 kg20,576 lbMed[1]
Flight performance
Engine2 x General Electric J85-GE-13Med[1]
Speed1,489 km/h925 mph · 804 ktMed[1]
Cruise speed904 kphMed[1]
Rate of climb8,748 m/minMed[1]
Service ceiling15,789 m51,801 ftMed[1]
Ferry range2,519 km tanks droppedMed[1]
Armament and payload
Hardpoints7 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…Med[1]
Main Missile Systems2 x AIM-9 Sidewinder AAM on wingtip launchersMed[1]
Bomb Weapon Systems9 x 500-lb (227-kg) bombsMed[1]
Armament1 x M39 Autocannon; 2× LAU-61/LAU-68 rocket pods (each with 19× /7× Hydra 70 mm rockets, rMed[1]
Fire control
Fire Control RadarAN/APQ-153 RadarMed[1]
Weapons and payload options · 2Confidence · Source
1 x M39 AutocannonSingle-Barrel Autocannon
Med[1]
Quantity
280 Rounds
Type
Single-Barrel Autocannon
Caliber
20 mm
Rate of fire
1,500 rpm
2× LAU-61/LAU-68 rocket pods (each with 19× /7× Hydra 70 mm rockets, rWeapon
Med[1]
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.

Draft entry. Values come from the cited public sources and are awaiting editor verification.
CompareJSON
Operators
United StatesBotswanaTürkiyeYemen
Sources
  1. F-5A Freedom Fighter American Supersonic Light Fighter Aircraft, U.S. Army TRADOC G-2 Worldwide Equipment Guide (ODIN)
    Published/updated 2026-03-20 · Tier 1 · checked 2026-10-10
Change log
  • 2026-10-10 Entry created from the Worldwide Equipment Guide (ODIN), bulk import
  • 2026-10-10 Added photo (CC BY-SA 2.0)