Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II

Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II

Type: Air Superiority Fighter

Domain: air

Country of Origin: United States

Manufacturer: Northrop Grumman

Overview

Senegal operates a small number of F-5E/F Tiger II light fighters, among the oldest jet combat aircraft in service in West Africa. Originally supplied as part of American security assistance programmes, the Senegalese F-5 fleet provides a nominal supersonic air defense capability though operational readiness is increasingly constrained by age and parts availability. Most active employment is symbolic air sovereignty patrol rather than combat missions. The aircraft are being effectively superseded in Senegalese inventory by the M-346FA armed jet trainer/light attacker and potentially the proposed F-16 procurement.

Technical Specifications

Crew1 (E) / 2 (F)
TypeLight Fighter / Adversary Trainer
RadarEmerson AN/APQ-159(V)5 fire control
Length14.45 m
Engines2x GE J85-GE-21B (22.2 kN AB each)
Armament2x 20mm M39A3; AIM-9 Sidewinder, bombs, rockets
Wingspan8.13 m
Max SpeedMach 1.64 (1,740 km/h)
Combat Radius1,000 km
Service Ceiling15,790 m

Operators

Related air Weapon Systems