D
Air ForcesUnited States

F-5E Tiger II

Supersonic light fighter aircraftFielded 1972Pending verification
Air ForcesUSA
Length 14.45 m
Identification silhouette. Not drawn to scale between entries.
Fact cardConfidence · Source
System
TypeSupersonic light fighter aircraft
Date of introduction1972
ProliferationAt least 18 countries
ManufacturerNorthrop CorporationMed[1]
Crew1Med[1]
Dimensions and weight
Length14.45 m47 ftMed[1]
Wingspan8.13 m27 ftMed[1]
Wing area17.30 m sqMed[1]
Height4.06 m13 ftMed[1]
Empty weight4,410 kg9,722 lbMed[1]
Max takeoff weight11,214 kg24,723 lbMed[1]
Flight performance
Engine2 x General Electric J85-GE-21BMed[1]
Speed1,733 km/h1,077 mph · 936 ktMed[1]
Cruise speed904 km/hMed[1]
Rate of climb10,516 m/minMed[1]
Service ceiling15,789 m51,801 ftMed[1]
Ferry range2,861 kmMed[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]
Bomb Weapon Systems9 x 227-kg bombs.Med[1]
Armament1 x M39 Autocannon; 2× AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile on wingtips (initial F-5E Tiger; 2× LAU-61/LAU-68 rocket pods (each with 19× /7× Hydra 70 mm rockets, rMed[1]
Fire control
Fire Control RadarAN/APQ-159 RadarMed[1]
Variants
AE.9Spanish designation of the Northrop F-5B.[1]
F-5-21Temporary designation for the YF-5B.[1]
YF-5BOne F-5B was fitted with a 5,000 lbf (2,268 kgf) General Electric J85-GE-21 engine, and used as a prototype for the F-5E Tiger II.[1]
F-5BTwo-seat trainer version.[1]
F-5B(G)Two-seat trainer version of the F-5B for the Royal Norwegian Air Force.[1]
F-5BMTwo-seat trainer version in use by the Spanish Air Force for air combat training.[1]
F-5DUnbuilt trainer version.[1]
F-5F Tiger IITwo-seat trainer version of F-5E Tiger II, AN/APQ-167 radar tested, intended to replace AN/APQ-157, but not carried out.[1]
Weapons and payload options · 3Confidence · 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× AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile on wingtips (initial F-5E TigerWeapon
Med[1]
2× LAU-61/LAU-68 rocket pods (each with 19× /7× Hydra 70 mm rockets, rWeapon
Med[1]
Summary

F-5E Tiger II Single-seat fighter version with AN/APQ-159 replacing earlier AN/APQ-153 in F-5A. 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 StatesBahrainBrazilSwitzerlandChileSpainHondurasIndonesiaIranKenyaSouth KoreaMoroccoMexicoMalaysiaThailandTunisiaTürkiyeYemen
Sources
  1. F-5E Tiger II 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