Northrop F-5E Tiger III Plus - One of the most powerful Northrop F-5 in the world

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F-5E Tiger III Plus

History:

On September 25, 1974, the purchase of 18 Northrop F-5 Tiger II aircraft, fifteen single-seat F-5E aircraft (J-800 to J-814) and three two-seater F-5F (J-815 to J-817) was authorized for the amount of $44,311,859.00, renamed the “Peace Lama” acquisition project. The aircrafts arrived in Chile between 1976 and 1977, just before the Kennedy amendment began, which in the future would make it impossible to buy spare parts or war material from the United States, thus initiating the Supersonic era of the Chile Air Force. The FACH (Chilean Air Force) indicated that a dorsal fin be added to increase directional stability which differentiates it from the rest of the standard F-5.

During 1978, a war almost occurred between Chile and Argentina due to territorial problems, so the F-5 Tiger II along with the Chilean Hawker Hunters were the main air defense of Chile and the F-5 were armed with AIM-9J Sidewinder missiles, general-purpose bombs of various sizes and weights and also cluster bombs manufactured in Chile by Industrias Cardoen, FFAR and Zuni rockets. So in future modernizations they would keep this weapons among the options available to arm the Chilean F-5.

Chile’s F-5E Tiger II showing off some of its armament before being modernized

In 1987 the Peruvian Air Force acquired the Mirage 2000 and also modernized its Mirage 5P, so in order not to be left behind, the FACH decided to modernize its F-5 Tiger II, the company chosen to carry out the modernization was Israel Aerospace Industries with its modernization package called “F-5 Plus”, a company which had already worked in Chile on the modernization of the Mirage 50 Pantera, so they took advantage of the ties already existing with Israel. Thus, in 1990, the “Tifanny Project” began at a cost of 300 million dollars for the modernization of sixteen Chilean F-5s, transferring the F-5E No. 805 and F-5F No. 817 aircraft to Israel to the I.A.I facilities at Ben Gurion Airport to be used as prototypes for the modernization. The modernization carried out in Israel contemplated the following:

  • MIL-STD 1553B data bus
  • Radar ELTA EL/M-2032
  • Two screens Multifunction in the cab
  • An INS associated with an El-Op HUD
  • Mission Computer
  • HOTAS commands
  • EWPS-100 integrated electronic warfare system, developed in Chile (DM/A-104 Radar Warning Receiver, DM/A-202 Chaff and Flare Dispenser, A-401 Electronic Interference Self-Protection Disturber)
  • Pod LITE with laser head and infrared and TV navigation
  • GPS
  • 2 new air-to-air missile launchers (can now launch a maximum of 4 missiles)
  • Ability to fire AIM-9P Sidewinder and Rafael Python 3

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Chile’s new F-5 Tiger III cockpit

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The F-5E number 805 during tests in Israel on July 8, 1992, is seen carrying AIM-9P and Python 3 missiles

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F-5E number 805 at Le Bourget, France in June 1993

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Features of the new radar

Detail of the countermeasure launcher, you can see 30 normal size countermeasures and 15 large caliber countermeasures, making a total of 45 countermeasures

F-5E Tiger III Plus launching countermeasures

In June 1993 the I.A.I. presented in Le Bourget the converted FACH 809 (in reality it was the 805), which had a very special camouflage; On the front of the plane you can see painted “F-5 PLUS” and on the back a “III with a tiger”. Once the 2 prototypes were delivered to Chile, the rest of the fleet was modernized in Chile by ENAER and the F-5 were renamed F-5 Tiger III.

In January 1997, a contract was signed with the Tiger Century company of the United States to install in-flight refueling probes under Project Romulus. The works were carried out in the facilities of Enaer and completed in 1998. By then, they also received the ability to fire Python 4 missiles, which was adopted on the F-5 Tiger III, becoming its primary missile, and Elbit’s DASH III helmets began to be used.

In 2002 the last modernizations would begin, this time new multifunction screens were added, a RADA Ground Debriefing System, a new data link and the ability to launch the Rafael Derby missile, after these modernizations the fighter would have its definitive name, now called F-5 Tiger III Plus. The F-5E Tiger III plus is a unique variant in the world that to this day serves in Chile, although it is expected that they will soon be replaced.

F-5E Tiger III Plus carrying four Python 4 missiles

Video from the cockpit of an F-5E Tiger III Plus, you can see the multifunction screens and the radar scan

F-5E Tiger III Plus during FIDAE 2024 in Chile (video taken by me)

Specifications:

  • Crew:
    • 1
  • Armament:
    • Primary: 2x Pontiac M39A3 20mm cannons, 20 mm Gun Pod
    • Secondary: 7 hardpoints, 2 wingtip launch rails, 4 underwing pylons and 1 more pylon under the fuselage with a capacity of 3200 kg, to carry a combination of:
      • Bombs: Bombs Mk 81/82/83/84, Cardoen Cluster Bombs (CB-130, CB-500), Snakeeye bombs, LGB Griffin.
      • Missiles: AIM-9 J/P Sidewinder, Python III, Python IV, Rafael Derby, AGM-65 F/G Maverick.
      • Rockets: LAU-10A each with 4 Zuni rockets, LAU-3A each with 19 FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets
    • Additional systems: MIL-STD 1553B data bus, ELTA EL/M 2032B radar, El-Op HUD, two monochrome MFD, LITE pod with laser head and infrared and television navigation, Elbit DASH III helmet, Caiquén III RWR, Eclipse flare/chaff pods (45 in total), New multifunction screens, New mission digital debriefing system (RADA), New datalink, Mid-air refueling lance.
  • Dimensions:
    • Length: 14.45 m
    • Wingspan: 8.13 m
    • Height: 4.08 m
    • Wing area: 17.28 m²
    • Empty weight: 4,349 kg
    • Loaded weight: 7,157 kg
    • Maximum takeoff weight: 9,545 kg
  • Performance:
    • Powerplant: 2× General Electric J85-GE-21B turbojet.
    • Maximum operating speed (Vno): 1,875 km/h
    • Normal Thrust: 15.5 kN 3,500 lbf of thrust each.
    • Thrust with afterburner: 22.2 kN 5,000 lbf of thrust each.
    • Fuel capacity: 2,563 internal liters and up to 3 external tanks of 1,040 liters each.
    • Range: 1,405 km
    • Range by ferry: 3,800 km
    • Service ceiling: 16,800 m
    • Rate of climb: 184 m/s (36,220 ft/min)
Specifications of EWPS-100, DM/A-202 and DM/A-104

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Photos:




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Sources:

5 Likes

estaría bien que lo agregaran en 11.3 ya que comparte armamento con el kfir c2 aunque el Derby es la mayor diferencia y en la linea de investigación creo que abajo del f-5e de EEUU antes de pasara rango 8 aunque recién estoy con el f5 E por lo que no se el desbalance tecnológico que supondría en el br mencionado quizás en 11.7 este parejo viendo otro post sobre el f-5 brasileño

I think that the Chilean F-5E Tiger III Plus should be at BR 12.0 and the Brazilian F-5EM at 12.3, they are much higher than the F-5 that is in the game

1 Like

This would be the perfect lightweight fighter
A good targeting pod, Mavericks, Derbys and Pythons///

1 Like

I think that in the history of the F-5 in the world it would be in second or third place in power, only behind the Brazilian F-5EM and the Thai F-5TH Super Tigris. Although the three F-5s are very similar.

Yesterday I went to visit the National Aeronautical and Space Museum - Chile, where I was able to record videos of the F-5E Tiger III, so you can see its details more closely and directly, including the tail insignia where you can see its characteristic tiger and a 3 symbolizing the standard. Also some very good resolution photos that I took.

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2 Likes

F-5E Tiger III Plus during FIDAE 2024. I tried to take as many photos in detail so that in case it ever makes it to the game the developers will have all the details of the fighter:










4 Likes

Why would the Chilean F-5 be a lower BR? They seem roughly identical for A2A purposes, with the Chilean variant having superior A2G ordinance ( I haven’t seen anything about TGP integration for the Brazilian variant ).

I think they change some things like the avionics which is somewhat more advanced in the one in Brazil, at the cabin level if I’m not mistaken, and the radar I think is a little better too, but beyond that they are quite the same

The advertised range of the Grifo radar is lower IIRC- both planes feature similarly advanced glass cockpits and computers ( mind you, that shouldn’t affect the BR in the first place ). They seem damn equal to me.

I don’t know much about radars, but here are the specifications of the Chilean F-5 radar. In the game there would be no difference in performance between one and the other, maybe in real life yes, another thing is that the Brazilian F-5 only has a 20 mm cannon because they put things in its place, however in the chilean modernization of the F-5, IAI was told that the modernization had to be done while maintaining both 20 mm cannons

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1 Like

Update

I had made this suggestion in the old forum and I brought it to the new one so it presented some not so accurate data so I updated the suggestion eliminating some things that did not have very reliable sources and those that did have reliable sources were kept in the suggestion.

  • I added more and better photos to the suggestion, I added photos of the number of countermeasures that the Chilean F-5 has (there being 45)

  • I organized the suggestion in a better way, better detailing the modernizations and the year in which they were made so that the reader understands it better.

  • I added the characteristics of the radar of the Chilean F-5

  • I added 2 videos, one showing the cockpit and another video of a walkaround of the F-5 during FIDAE 2024 so you can see all the details of the plane

  • I modified the weapons that the Chilean F-5 can carry since I now have more reliable sources (books, specialized magazines, visual material)

With these modifications I hope that the suggestion is more attractive to whoever reads it.

2 Likes

It amazes me how this, the F-5EM, the F-5S, the F-E Tiger 2000 and the Thai fighter of doom aren’t in game yet, they would all make fantastic 13.0 fighters even if they can’t get their full armament yet.

That’s 5 tech trees of super F-5s right there, this one probably for Israel, the EM for Italy, the F-5S could probs go to the US because it’s Singaporean and uses the AIM-120 rather than the derby as well as the 2000 going to China and Thai fighter to Japan.

Great suggestion, thanks for making it!

3 Likes

Did you mean to say 30mm GAU-13/A Gunpod here, or is there a 20mm it can carry? Just now noticed as I was refreshing myself on it.

You know how gaijin is, they recently made a video about the history of the F-5 and they didn’t even bother to name the most powerful variants including this one. Let’s hope they wake up and add what’s missing in future updates

1 Like

In this pair of photos you can see the cannon pod, the circular white one, it does not appear to be 30 mm due to the width of the hole in the tip.

I don’t know what exact model of gun pod it is but it is very similar to this 20 mm one.

1 Like

How interesting… thanks for showing me man!

1 Like

no problem, whenever you have a question you can ask :)

1 Like