[Defense Column] The Fastest Air Force Fighter Jet Ready for Immediate Deployment in Emergencies

[Military Analyst Kim Daeyoung] The F-5E/F Tiger II is known as the fighter jet with the best scramble capability?that is, the ability to launch urgently in response to surprise attacks by enemy aircraft?among the Air Force’s fighter jets. Although it is considered one of the representative aging models among Air Force fighters, its engine is simpler and its avionics are more basic compared to other models, so it can literally take off as soon as the engine is started.

For this reason, F-5E/F fighters with rapid sortie capability are mainly deployed at frontline airbases adjacent to North Korea. Additionally, due to their small size, they are considered difficult to detect visually both in the air and on the ground. The Republic of Korea Air Force first introduced the F-5 series fighters in 1965, acquiring the F-5A/B through U.S. military aid. The handover ceremony was held at Suwon Air Base with President Park Chung-hee in attendance. The F-5A/B was the Air Force’s first supersonic fighter and was highly anticipated. The F-5A/B was a light fighter developed by Northrop in the U.S., intended for sale and military aid to allied countries rather than the U.S. military.

The F-5A/B fighters did not have radar but boasted excellent maneuverability and were sufficient to counter Soviet MiG-17s and MiG-19s in close-range air combat. In particular, the Air Force’s F-5A/B fighters were heavily deployed in anti-espionage operations during the 1960s and 1970s, and the 1968 film Living in the Blue Sky depicted their role in sinking spy ships. In 1973, the F-5E/F fighters were introduced to the Air Force. Unlike the F-5A/B, the F-5E/F was equipped with radar and could operate AIM-9 Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missiles.

This enabled them to engage in air combat on equal terms with Soviet MiG-21 fighters. Satisfied with its performance, the Korean military pursued domestic licensed production of the F-5E/F. From 1982 to 1986, about 60 units were produced by Korean Air. Unlike the original F-5E/F, the domestically produced fighters featured a shark-mouth-shaped radome on the nose and were equipped with the AN/APQ-159 radar, doubling detection range. Additionally, radar warning receivers that detect and alert to enemy airborne and surface-to-air radars, as well as chaff and flare countermeasures to confuse surface-to-air missiles, were added to enhance survivability.

The domestically licensed F-5E/F fighters were designated KF-5E/F, with the letter “K” representing Korea, and were given the name “Je-gong-ho” (meaning “Air Tiger”). Starting from the F-5A/B, the Air Force introduced about 210 units up to the KF-5E/F Je-gong-ho. In the 1980s, the introduction of the F-20 Tigershark, which upgraded the F-5E/F’s performance to above that of the F-16, was also considered. However, the plan was abandoned after an F-20 crashed during a demonstration flight at Suwon Air Base on October 10, 1984. In the 1990s, upgrade plans for the Air Force’s F-5E/F fighters were proposed by domestic and international defense companies but were not adopted. Nonetheless, minor upgrades were carried out.

The F-5E/F fighter’s ejection seats were replaced with new models, and the capability to operate the domestically produced precision-guided bomb KGGB was added. Once the KF-21 Boramae enters mass production, it is expected to gradually replace the Air Force’s F-5E/F fighters. The first unit to operate the KF-21 Boramae is also reported to be the Air Force’s 18th Fighter Wing, which currently operates the F-5E/F.