- Yes
- No
Northrop F-5E SCU Tigris - Royal Thai Air Force’s Tiger Sharks Part: 1
Hi and welcome to my 47th, which is about the Thai F-5E SCU, also referred as F-5T, hope you like it. 
First of all:
- This is a suggestion for an aircraft we could see in game at some point in the Future , that doesn´t mean next Patch or somewhere in the near Future
- Feel free to share more Information and / or correct me if something is wrong
- Discuss respectfully, any aggressive kind or verbal abuse will be reported, the Forum rules also apply here
- Actually there were supposed to be three parts, but since Gaijin surprised us with the F-5E FCU, there will only be two. Nevertheless, I will partially include the FCU in this part, but also exlude the “Overall” part in these, as all are very similar and there is not much to say about them.
Background History
Development of the F-5 began in the 1950s when a Northrop team visited Europe and Asia to explore the needs of NATO and SEATO. Based on these requirements, a design study for a low-cost and easy-to-maintain lightweight supersonic fighter started in 1955. The first flight of the F-5 took place in July 1959.
Although the US Air Force showed no interest in such a fighter, the T-38 Talon trainer version was approved in June 1956 to replace the T-33. In April 1962, the F-5 was selected for the Military Assistance Program (MAP) to enable allied countries to purchase an inexpensive fighter aircraft.
In August 1962, the aircraft received the official designation F-5A “Freedom Fighter”, and Iran was the first country to order it. The low price, which was only about a third of what an F-4 cost, also motivated other Western countries to buy the new small sized fighter.
The development of an improved F-5 started in the late 1960s. The aim of the development was to create an aircraft for Western allies who were facing a growing threat from modern variants of the MiG-21 from the Warsaw Pact countries. This development lead to the F-5E / F.
The Royal Thai Air Force acquired the F-5E and F-5F Tiger Shark in the 1980s and continues to operate them today. In 1988 the Royal Thai Air Force’s F-5 fleet began to be modernized. The gyro gun sight was replaced by a new HUD with weapon aiming computer from GEC Macroni, as well as the ability to use the Israeli Python-3 missile. This version is known as First Capability Upgrade (FCU).
In 2002, the Israeli company Elbit was commissioned to modernize the F-5 fleet again. The F-5E SCU (Second Capability Upgrade), also referred as F-5T, a further development and the second combat capability upgrade Phase that Thailand carried out on the F-5 Tiger II starting in 2002. Part of the changes was that most of the analog displays in the cockpit were replaced by MFDs and a DASH for the pilot’s helmet and HOTAS were installed; The weapons arsenal was supplemented with the Python-4.
Cockpit and DASH
Armament of the F-5E SCU Tigris
The SCU’s armament differs only slightly from the FCU, which is already in the game; The most noticeable are the new Python-4 missiles, which find their place on the wing tip pylons. It is not clear whether it is still possible to carry four air-to-air missiles. If it is still possible, 2x Python-4 + 2x Python-3 would be an interesting loadout.
Air-to-Air Missiles
- 2x AIM-9P-4
- 2x AIM-9L / M
- 2-?x Python-3
- 2-?x Python-4
Guided- / Dumb- Bombs, Missiles & Rockets
- 5x BLU-1
- 5x Mk.82
- 3x Mk.83
- 1x Mk.84
- 4x AGM-65B
- 4x FFAR
- 2x Zuni Mk.32
Specifications, Electronics and Internal
- Crew: 1
- Length: 14,45 m
- Wingspan: 8,13 m
- Height: 4,08 m
- Max. takeoff weight: 11.187 kg
- Powerplant: 2x General Electric J85-GE-21B/C
- Dry thrust: 2 × 14,8 kN
- Afterburner thrust: 2 × 22,2 kN
- Maximum speed: 1743 km/h
- Service ceiling: 15.790 m
- Rate of climb: 31,3 m/s
- Maximum g-load: +9g / -3g
Follow up Suggetion
Thanks for your time, hope you liked it 
[Will add more if there are some (more) important / declassified things]
[PM or comment if a Link or Picture isn´t working]
Sources:
Links
The Progress of RTAF’s F-5 Tiger II Capability Upgrade | Thai Military and Asian Region
F-5E Tiger II & F-5T-Tigris/Super Tigris of the Royal Thai Air Force | Thai Military and Asian Region
AAG_th บันทึกประจำวัน: กองทัพอากาศไทยจะทำการปรับปรุงเครื่องบินขับไล่ F-5 Super Tigris
อัพเกรดแล้ว “F-5TH” เสือโคตรดุ ทอ.ไทย เทียบชั้นเครื่องขับไล่ยุค 4.5
DEFENSE STUDIES: The Progress of RTAF’s F-5 Tiger II Capability Upgrade
List of Suggestions of ASEAN region