MANUFACTURER:  Northrop Corporation (later Northrop Grumman Corp.) and by license to others through military aid program)

PRODUCTION PERIOD:  1962 to 1972

NUMBER PRODUCED:  2,179 total all sources

PRODUCTION SERIES:  F-5A, B, C, E, G, M, N, S & T, RF-5A, RF-5E, RF-5S, YF-5A, XF-5A and N-15F

ROLES:  The F-5A Freedom Fighter is a low-cost, lightweight supersonic fighter, optimized for the air-to-ground role that can operated from shorter runways; when conceived the USAF had no need for such a fighter, but chose instead to use it as a two-seat trainer (T-38 variant) to replace the aging T-33; later variants were used as an "Aggressor" for air-to-air combat training (similar to a Soviet MIG-21) and as an export product to other countries under the military aid program

(Varies by model)

MAXIMUM SPEED:  925 mph (Mach 1.4)

SERVICE CEILING:  51,000 feet + above sea level

RANGE:  760 miles

WEAPONS:  Two M39A2 20mm cannons, two AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, 20 unguided rockets, two Bullpup air-to-surface missiles and assorted bombs

CREW:  Pilot

LENGTH:  47 feet, 2 inches

WINGSPAN:  25 feet, 3 inches

HEIGHT:  13 feet, 4.5 inches

MAXIMUM TAKEOFF WEIGHT:  24,664 lbs.

POWERPLANT:  2x General Electric J85-GE-13 turbojet engines with afterburner, providing 4,080 lbs. of thrust each

ACHIEVEMENTS:  The F-5 is suitable for various types of ground support and aerial intercept missions and is used to train pilots at the US Navy's elite Naval Fighter Weapons School dubbed "Top Gun"