Thailand Equipped its Vietnam War Era F-5s with AESA Radars and Data Links: Newly Enhanced F-5TH Jets Debut at Singapore Airshow

The Royal Thai Air Force has displayed its new F-5TH fighter at the Singapore Airshow, with the newly enhanced jets representing one of the most formidable iterations of the F-5 design to date. The aircraft is an extensive modernisation of the F-5E Tiger II design - which saw its first flight in 1972. The F-5E in turn was closely based on the pre-Vietnam War era F-5A Freedom Fighter - a lightweight but versatile platform which first flew in 1959 and was marketed primarily to American third world client states. The platform was a prized for its low operational costs, and was capable in both air to air and strike missions and compatible with a range of advanced munitions. Its light weight, low endurance and small radar and armament limited its ability to compete against higher end jets, but for the vast majority of combat missions many operators have seen the F-5 as the most cost effective option.

The F-5TH entered service in late 2019, and a single squadron is currently based at Ubon airbase near the Cambodian border. The aircraft’s avionics are arguably the most advanced of any F-5 derivative - rivalled only by the Iranian Kowsar and Taiwanese F-5 derivatives. The aircraft’s most outstanding feature is its integration of an AESA radar - the only modernised second generation design with such a system - which provides considerably greater situational awareness and reduces susceptibility to jamming. The fighter also integrates a Link-T datalink allowing it to operate as part of a network with newer Gripen and F-16 fighters. It remains unconfirmed whether this new variant of the F-5 will be equipped with active radar guided missiles - or whether it will continue to rely on the effectively obsolete AIM-7 Sparrow with semi active radar guidance. Singapore and Taiwan both previously equipped their F-5s with active radar guided missiles - the AIM-120B and Sky Sword II respectively. 

The F-5TH's cannons have notably been removed, possibility to compensate for the weight of a larger radar, which will limit its capabilities in visual range combat but provide superior manoeuvrability. Despite its second generation origins, the aircraft is classified by the Royal Thai Air Force as a ‘4+ generation’ fighter - the same generation as the heavier F-16V currently being marketed across Southeast Asia.