(Photo : Adrian Pingstone/Wikipedia)
F-5 Tiger II, one of the mainstays of the Air Force, developed by Northrop Grumman, created in the cold war, whose lighter airframe gave it agility that the F-4 Phantom lacked. First developed in 1959 and saw service in the early 70s as the US faced the USSR.
It is derived from the F-5A Freedom fighter aircraft in 1959, and later took flight on August 11, 1972, and later entered the arsenal of the US in 1975. Taking thirteen years to engineer and perfect the airframe, reported Air Force Technology.
Though the Tiger II and Freedom Fighter shared the same airframe, they had subtle differences that differed from the planes made in 1970. One of these improvements is avionics that allowed more precise aerial movement than capable before. Its relevant upgrades reflect the ever-changing cold war environment until its end, starting in 1987 as the modern upgrades were made available.