Following the resounding success of the F-5A Freedom Fighter, the USAF issued a request in 1970 for a new light fighter aircraft that could both be exported to Americas allies (Under the Mutual Assistance Plan, or MAP) or put on the international market. Northrop decided to repeat the feat of the F-5A a second time, and offered up a brand-new variant, the F-5E Tiger II. Named to honour the well-known Skoshi Tiger Unit that was formed solely to test out the F-5A during the Vietnam War, the F-5E Tiger II, just like its predecessor, instantly became an enormous hit on the export market. For a price of about two million dollars US (Today), a country could equip its air force with a light, modern single-seat fighter. The tactical RF-5E Tigereye and the F-5F Tiger II also soon hit the market, seeing success with a number of Asian, Middle-Eastern and European countries.
The F-5E Tiger II is a single-seat version for the Tunisian Air Force. In 1950, the F-5 started its life as a privately-funded light fighter program by Northrop. The first generation F-5A Freedom Fighter entered service in 1960. During the Cold War, there were over 800 produced through 1972 for US Allies. The F-5 proved to be a successful combat aircraft for US Allies, but it didnt entered front-line service with the US due to diverging priorities of the US services. A few surplus F-5As and F-5Es have been sold to private owners. In 1970, Northrops F-5A-21, which subsequently became the F-5E, was designated to replace the F-5A. It was lengthened and enlarged, with increased wing area and more sophisticated avionics, and was initially having an Emerson AN/APQ-153 radar. The F-5E eventually acquired its official name Tiger II. In its service life, the F-5E experienced numerous upgrades. The F-5E Tiger II has a crew capacity of 1. It has a maximum speed of 917 kn and a ferry range of 2,010 nmi. The F-5E Tiger II production amounted to 1,400 including all versions and production ended in 1987. Various F-5 versions remain in service with many other nations. Singapore has approximately 49 modernized and re-designated F-5S and F-5T aircraft. The F-5 was also developed into a reconnaissance version, the RF-5 Tigereye.