Editing Northrop F-5 (section)

===Taiwan===
[[File:ROCAF F-5E 5272 Display at Chih Hang Air Force Base Apron 20130601a.jpg|thumb|The 46th Tactical Fighter Squadron (Aggressor squadron) F-5E 5272 of [[Republic of China Air Force]] exhibited on the apron of Zhi-Hang Air Base]]

The [[Republic of China Air Force]] (ROCAF, Taiwan's air force) received its first batch of seven F-5As and two F-5Bs under the US Military Assistance Program in 1965. By 1971, the ROCAF was operating 72 F-5As and 11 F-5Bs.<ref>[http://taiwanairpower.org/blog/?p=290 "ROCAF F-5A/B Program in CINCPAC History Series (Part 1)."] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008221815/http://taiwanairpower.org/blog/?p=290 |date=8 October 2011}} ''taiwanairpower.org'', 21 February 2009. Retrieved: 14 September 2009.</ref> During 1972, the US borrowed 48 ROCAF F-5As to lend to the Republic of Vietnam Air Force before the withdrawal of US forces from Vietnam. By 1973, most of those loaned F-5As were not in flying condition, thus the US opted to return 20 F-5As to Taiwan by drawing nine F-5As from US reserves while repairing 11 from South Vietnam. An additional 28 new F-5Es were issued to Taiwan by May 1975.<ref>[http://taiwanairpower.org/blog/?p=74 "F-5A/B Freedom Fighter (Part 1)."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728082253/http://taiwanairpower.org/blog/?p=74 |date=28 July 2011}} ''taiwanairpower.org'', 16 July 2006. Retrieved: 14 September 2009.</ref> By 1973, Taiwan's AIDC started local production of a first batch of 100 F-5Es, the first of six Peace Tiger production batches. By end of 1986 when the production line closed after completing Peace Tiger 6, the AIDC had produced 242 F-5Es and 66 F-5Fs. Taiwan was the largest operator of the type at one time, having 336 F-5E/Fs in inventory.<ref>[http://www.taiwanairpower.org/af/f5.html "Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091121120004/http://www.taiwanairpower.org/af/f5.html |date=21 November 2009}} ''taiwanairpower.org'', 13 April 2008. Retrieved: 14 September 2009.</ref> The last batch of AIDC F-5E/Fs featured the F-20's shark nose.<ref name=Johnsen_p35>{{harvnb|Johnsen|2006|p=35}}</ref>

With the introduction of 150 F-16s, 60 Mirage 2000-5s and 130 F-CK-1s in the mid-to-late-1990s, the F-5E/F series became second line fighters in ROCAF service and mostly are now withdrawn from service as squadrons converted to new fighters entering ROCAF service. Seven low airframe hours F-5Es were sent to ST Aerospace to convert them to RF-5E standard to fulfill a reconnaissance role previously undertaken by the retiring [[Lockheed F-104 Starfighter|Lockheed RF-104G]] in ROCAF service.<ref>[http://www.taiwanairpower.org/af/rf5e.html "RF-5E Tigergazer."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927084257/http://www.taiwanairpower.org/af/rf5e.html |date=27 September 2011}} ''taiwanairpower'', 12 June 2004. Retrieved: 14 September 2009.</ref> As of 2009, only about 40 ROCAF F-5E/Fs still remain in service in training roles with about 90–100 F-5E/Fs held in reserve. The other retired F-5E/F are either scrapped, or used as decoys painted in colors representing the main front line F-16, Mirage 2000-5 or F-CK-1 fighters, and deployed around major air bases.<ref>[http://taiwanairpower.org/blog/?p=78 " F-5E – a la Mirage."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728081313/http://taiwanairpower.org/blog/?p=78 |date=28 July 2011}} ''taiwanairpower.org'', 8 August 2006. Retrieved: 14 September 2009.</ref>

Taiwan also tried to upgrade the F-5E/F fleet with AIDC's Tiger 2000/2001 program. The first flight took place on 24 July 2002. The program would replace the F-5E/F's radar with F-CK-1's GD-53 radar and allow the fighter to carry a single TC-2 BVRAAM on the centerline. But lack of interest from the ROCAF eventually killed the program. The only prototype is on display in AIDC in Central Taiwan.<ref>Hsu, Brian. [http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2002/07/30/158279 "Unwanted fighter jet takes to the air in first test flight."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080829182831/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2002/07/30/158279 |date=29 August 2008}} ''taipeitimes.com'' The Taipei Times, 30 July 2002. Retrieved: 14 September 2009.</ref><ref>Jeziorski, Andrzej. [http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/1999/12/08/59451/aidc-pins-hopes-on-f-5-upgrade.html "AIDC pins hopes on F-5 upgrade."] ''flightglobal.com'', 12 August 1999. Retrieved: 14 September 2009.</ref>

On 22 March 2021, two Taiwanese pilots flying F-5E's crashed into each other during a training mission resulting in the third crash within six months. Two pilots died after the crash.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Taiwan loses two fighter jets in apparent collision|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/22/taiwan-loses-two-fighter-jets-in-apparent-collision|access-date=2021-03-22|website=www.aljazeera.com|language=en}}</ref>