What F-5 aircraft does Chile have and what is their function?

THE planes F-5 that Chile has played a fundamental role in its more than 45 years of service in the country.

THE Fach He received the first four copies on July 26, 1976. according to the history of the institution itself.

The acquisition agreement concluded at the time consisted of 15 single-seater aircraft and three training aircraft .

Military vehicles from the United States They landed at Cerro Moreno Air Base in Antofagasta .

And later they were assigned to protect the southern sky in Aviation Group No. 12.

The reception of the F-5 in 1976 marked a historic milestone, since signified the arrival of the institution’s first supersonic fighter jet according to the specialist website on the subject, InfoDefense . In other words, it exceeds the speed of sound.

From the American aerospace and defense conglomerate, Northrop Grumman Corporation They state on their official website that The F-5 Tiger has “one of the most enduring military aircraft designs” never presented.”

The manufacturer specifies that it is “a supersonic combat aircraft”. agile, very manoeuvrable and reliable which combines advanced aerodynamic design, engine performance and low operating costs.

They also state that “the initial flight of the F-5 took place on July 31, 1963 at Edwards Air Force Base (in California) and that “approximately Two-thirds of the original production F-5s are still in service in 26 countries including the United States.

“The US Navy uses the F-5 in its adversary squadrons to simulate enemy aircraft during training exercises. air combat. The US Air Force has used the F-5 in a similar training role,” they add.

The Commander-in-Chief of the FACh between 2018 and 2022, Air General Arturo Merino Núñez, spoke the relevance of these planes for Chile in an interview given to the aforementioned media devoted to this subject, published in 2021.

In this conversation, he explained that “having had the F-5 flight hardware, in its Tiger II and Tiger III versions, for so long, has been very important in the different stages of strength development institutional fight “.

He assured that The system has undergone a series of modifications over the years, which “have allowed it to operate without restrictions.” to this day, even in a geographical framework very different from that initially defined for its operation.

Changes added over time include a new data management mechanism and multi-function screens, among others according to the website specializing in aerospace affairs Vortexx .

The F-5 Tiger III model has 14.5 meters long and 4.1 meters high, in addition to the ability to reach a maximum speed of 1,875 km/h according to data collected by T13 .

The expert in military strategies and professor of the Master of Engineering Management at the University of the Andes, Alfonso Kaiser, explains to La Tercera that “we must first understand why the F-5 was made” .

“His name was Freedom Fighter. This It was designed during the Cold War to provide America’s allies with cheap, high-quality aircraft. performance to function.”

The idea of ​​its manufacturers, Northrop Corporation, was to present “a military aircraft with a high air-to-air combat capability, with also some bomb-dropping capability” said the expert.

“In other words, it was multi-role, but specialized in air-to-air combat. That’s the basis. Chile purchased about 18 new aircraft in 1976: 15 single-seaters and three two-seaters. The latter are used for training They sometimes have a little less electronics and on some models a slightly shorter battery life. But in general, they are both quite similar.

However, the main difference is that The first ones are used for combat tasks .

Over the years, in the 90s, the company “ Elbit Systems and the National Aeronautics Company of Chile (ENAER) has modernized them a lot” said Kaiser.

“They were equipped with the highly effective Elta ELM-2032 radar. They also installed an in-flight refueling probe. because the only problem with these planes was their short range. Thanks to this, they were able to improve that.

“They also changed his weapons. They could now carry Python-4 missiles, which are short-range, but paired with a helmet with which the pilot pointed his eyes and the missile head went where he was looking. . It was revolutionary for the time, it was the 90s.

In this sense, the specialist specifies that Such projectiles with the DASH (Display and Sight Helmet) helmet are useful for air-to-air combat up to about 15 kilometers.

Along with this, it ensures that “They had the Sidewinder missiles with which the same planes came.

“With the new radar, they also have the ability to fight beyond visual range . All short-range air-to-air missiles usually occupy the infrared. In other words, they pick up the heat of the enemy aircraft. But the medium-range ones are too far away to do that. So what do they do? They lock on to them using radar. And that’s why the modernization that’s been done is important.”

“They can carry medium-range devices up to 50 kilometers. The Derby, Israeli and still in service . They are transported by the F-5″.

“Regardless of this, The modernization carried out also allows them to embark the AIM-120 missiles, which are those that the F-16 brought later. Although, in our case, they are not occupied by the F-5 but they reserved them for these last planes.

If you compare the F-5 and the F-16, basically you can find a fundamental difference .

Kaiser explains that the latter are single-engine, while The first ones are twin-engined .

“SO, The F-5 is particularly useful for getting to complex areas, such as southern Chile. It is highly appreciated that it has two engines because if one breaks down, the plane can return with the other. Neither the Mirage nor the F-16 had that,” says the academic from the University of the Andes.

La Tercera has contacted the Chilean Air Force for advice on the F-5s in its arsenal . Although the request requested by the institution was sent, at the end of this article there has been no response.