The F-5 Tiger “Freedom Fighter” is a lightweight, supersonic attack / fighter aircraft manufactured by Northrop. A further development of the F-5 was the F-20 Tigershark, similar in performance to the F-16. However, the Tigershark failed to attract a buyer in the competitive fighter market of the late 1980s. Nonetheless, some 2,700 F-5 aircraft were built for the US and 30 other nations by the time production ceased in 1987. Perhaps the most well-known variant of the F-5 is the related T-38 Talon two-seat advanced trainer used by the US Air Force and NASA.

The single-seat F-5E Tiger II variant is an American light tactical fighter with a maximum speed of 940 kt / 1.082 mph. The F-5E is powered by two 2268-kg (5,000-lb) afterburning thrust General Electric J85-GE-21 B turbojets. Its empty weight is 4,410 kg / 9,723 lb max. while its take-off weight is 11,214 kg / 24,722 lb. The F-5E Tiger II appeared in the early 1970s with more powerful engines, greater fuel capacity, and aerodynamic improvements. The F-5E Tiger II made its first flight on August 11, 1972. The improved second-generation F-5E Tiger II was also primarily used by American Cold War allies and, in limited quantities, served in US military aviation as a training and aggressor aircraft; Tiger II production amounted to 1,400 of all versions, with production ending in 1987.