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Battle
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in this issue
From Freedom f ighter to
Tigershark- F5
The "Super Carriers"
XM-l Abrams
The US Arnly new tank
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 Illilitary
Military ENTHUSIA,T vol-s/re
Mititary Enthusiast Magazine is published by Eshel GmbH,
Neue Eilerstr. 38a, 5000 Cologne 90, West Germany, and distributed
world-wide. Contents O 1982 by Eshel Dramit Ltd'

The publishers welcome any contribution by freelance authors

and readers who can supply suitable material- in lhis issu€

Please remit $2.50 postage fee for airmail return and send it to
Eshel-Dramit GmbH, at the above address.
trE U5 A ',,

J_.8
K !*
The views expressed by named contributors and correspondents
do not necessarily reflect the Editor's view. The Editor retains all
rights to include or reject material provided to suit the editorial
programme and scope of the magazine. Cover: Two Hill AFB basei 3:8 TTt+'F-16
Falcons with AIII-9J Sidew'irie' ;xt ir.,0 Ibs'
MK82 bombs.
Editorial Board:
IN THIS ISSI.JE
Below: The XM-t Abrams ;es::i:,: F:. Knox.
Editor & Publisher:
Lt. Col. D. Eshel (ret.) NEWS FLASH 3,18,19,37
Assistant Editor:
Lt. Col. Peter Frhr. v. Mala- * The )0{-l Abrams 5
pert-Neufville (ret.) In a short article, we bring you a compre-
hensive update of the development and
-
deployment of this new tank. The first in
Design: T. Eshel a line of a new concept, the XM-l and its
Typesetting: Panorama plarured successors will be studied in detail
Photo offset: Kav Or in one of our BORN IN BATTLE issues.
Printing : Proost PVBA, Belgium
* The SUPER CARRIERS. today
A review of the U.S. Navy gun concept
The contents of this magazine and its carriers deployed in the -15
Mediter-
ranean.
are based on intemational sour-
ces unless otherwise specified;
BNGHT STAR'82 - 20
they do not necessarily reflect
the ideas and views of official
Israeli sources. * The F-5: From Freedom Fighter to
Tiger Shark 25
A study of this fighter and its latest vari
ant, the F-5G. Operated by more than 20
air crews, it is now deployed world wide
with more than 2000 aircraft produced.

UK/Worldwide USA W. Gcrmany Switzerland Austria Israel

COMAG Overseas subscrip- Distribution of German edition: Eshel-Dramit Ltd.

Tavistock Road tion rate: Subscriptions: Kiosk AG Morawa P'O'B' 115,
West Drayton Send to: Neue Eshel GmbH Maulbeerstr. 1 I , \,Vollzeile 1 I , Hod Hasharon
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W. Gcrmany. sevogelstr' 34, Basel order form enclosed with this issile'

Page 2 /Military Enthusiast No' l6

 + +++++World News++++ + ++
US NAVY SELECTS THE HAWK
FOR VTXTS
An initial $300,000 contract has been
awarded to the team, headed by McDon-
nell Douglas. McDonnell Douglas will be
the prime contractor, with British Aero-
space being principal sub-contractor for
the airframe and Sperry being principal
sub-contractor for simulators. The con-
tract calls for continued work on VTXTS
system definition, leading to full scale
development work in 1983...
The modified Hawk planned for the Rockwell
Naqr will have a gross take-off weight of
12,129 pounds and an empty weight of
8,723 pounds. The Rolls-Royce Adour
engine produces 5,340 pounds of thrust
and uses 1,250 pounds of fuel an hour,
less than half the fuel burn rate of the ex-
isting Nar"y jet trainer. Modifications to
the Hawk for the Navy training programme
call for strengthened landing gear, an ar-
resting hook and catapult launch fittings...
The various contestants on the USN VTXTS.
British Aerospace f McDonnel Douglas - Hawk
& +++ +Mid east Round
US-Israeli Strategic Cooperation Talks
US Secretary of Defence Caspar Wein-
berger welcoming Israel's Defence Minis-
ter Major General Ariel Sharon, on his
visit to the USA, November 30, 1981.
First talks on US-Israeli strategic coopera-
tion were successful and plans were made
to consolidate joint project. However, an
T-2X (Buckeye T-2C variant) Israeli move to place the Golan Heights
under Israeli law in early December,
brought a sharp protest and a temporary
halt to the fledgling strategic accord be-
tween the two countries. Judging by Am-
erica's position in the Middle East and So-
viet initiatives within the Arab countries,
the USA should be expected to renew the
talks in the near future.

M.dn aaher TyFUSl0!V

Zeo-ZEoEi6de56&
Sr,!t, ( J.,,rt Fir!dr!.1 F(.i T.nt R3n, A,r lrdlnD

N* Advan.edTe.hmbqy

-;", ll 1 1

Ns tureter Hdok

NewNo* L.nding6e.t
hAviootEqqipmd Revised &in landidg G6.'
Disiul Oatalls Sysrem New twinSpesdbE&E

Lockheed - Dassault-Dornier Alpha iet

Sky Flash launched from Tornado F-2

The first firing of a British Aerospace

Dynamics Sky Flash air-to-air missile from
a Tornado Air Defence Variant (or F.2 as
it will be known in the RAF) has been
successfully accomplished. The aircraft
concerned was A,02, the second The British Aerospace Dynamic group Skyflaslt
;*oP*FQ
and this trial closely followed the jetti-
soning of an inert Sky Flash to check the
correct separation of the missile from the
aircraft,..
The medium-range Sky Flash will be
the ADVs main offensiv€ armament; two
Sidewinder AM-9L short-range missiles
arrd a 27 mm Mauser cannon are also car-
ried... A Tornado F-2 (ADV) fires first BAe Skyflash.
Military Enthusiast No. 16 / page 3
 Highlevel InfqmCItion
,r;ffiffi*tr fOf DeCiSiOn
AEROSPACE
INTERNATIONAL
treats the entire range of
Mcrkers
military aviation, airPort
equipment, navigation, air
defence, and space research.
NAVAL V;I

Each issue presents aircraft FORCES

and aerospace Programs Nie::.. j- 3 .r ;aru!\ Fofi A4ARlllME Pct!{?[ll
and provides information
on new airports throughout MILITARY TECHNOLOGY
the world. presents articles and reports
on current weapon systems.
NAVAL FORCES It contributes to the flow of inior-
is the new professional iournal for the international naval mation between nations by
matters printed in English. The declared goal of the editorial transferring technology f rom
statf is to report on the ever-growing importance of the the industrial states to developing
seven seas as a military lactor. NAVAL FOBCES will feature countries.
articles on international naval affairs.and navies worldwide. MILTECH provides the industrial
Strategic questions will be dealt with from the view point world with marketing leads on
of the super powers as well as the developing countries. the developing states.

NATO'S FIFTEEN NATIONS

is the oldest international defence iournal.
It has been in publication for a quarter of
a century. Just as NATO, NFN is now enjoy-
ing a renaissance. NFN disposes of a new
editorial team with an Editorial Board compris-
ing members from 15 countries serving in
the role of consultant and supervisor.

TECNOLOGIA MILITAR
The unique security requirements make it essential to
establish special lines of communication between the
industrialized world and Latin America. Contents of this
journal are the economic resources, long coastlines,
wealth of raw materials on land and beneath the seas,
emerging industry and the desire to assert sovereignty
by means of confident armed forces.

I I
T
n NATO'S FIFTEEN NATIONS n MILITARY TECHNOLOGY N AEROSPACE t
D TECNOLOGIA MILITAR n NAVAL FORCES INTERNATIONAL
I
I
I I
I Family Name First Name
I
I Rank z Title Country t
T I
I Street Town. City, Zip Code
I
II
Detach coupon and forward to:
MONCH Publishing Group, Circulation Department, P.O. Box 1401 87, D-5300 Bonn 1, West Germany.
I
t
IIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
MBT-70. The Germon-American development here shown is one of the prototypes with its variable hydropneumatic
suspension system. The tank driver's position is on the left side of the turret in a counter-rotating ring, usually the
loader's position in a four-ftwn uew tank. The MBT was laid out as a three-man uew tank with an auto-bader.
A group of grey-coloured steel monsters crash through
the underbrush and'grind to a stop in a clearing. The
turret hatches open and muddy, dome-helmeted tank-
ers slide smilingly down the hull, joined by the drivers
who squeeze out of position up front.
The tankers, part of Company H 2nd Squadron 6th
Cavalry at Fort Knox US Armor Centre, have just
completed another backbreaking phase in testing
America's newest main battle tank, the XM- 1.
Having driven many thousands of kilometres across
the United States in torrential rain, choking dust,
snow and sleet, through knee-deep mud for weeks
on end, the tankers are in excellent morale - they
have been given the task of becoming part of the
combat evaluation team, and their recommendations
are being carefully listed to by the experts. Although
they have driven the tanks under almost all possible
conditions, they have still a long way to go before the
new vehicle will become fully operational. [t is cer-
tainly the most exhaustive test any American combat
vehicle has undergone since WWII. Although the poli-
ticians are still shaking their grey heads in doubt, the
cheerful tankers seem satisfied with their mount.
Asked about their feelings, they express their confi-
dence in the tank in battle, should they have to face
the enemy.
The XM-l was named after General Creighton W.
Abrams, late Commander-in-Chief, Vietnam, and
Chief-of-Staff, who approved the project personally
in September 1972.
The United States was a partner in the German-
American MBT-70 project, a joint development effort
Page 6 / Military Enthusiast No. l6
. '. {'.. \
Prototype M55l Sheridan light tank mount@ the duzl pur-
pose 152mm gunfmissile launcher.
aimed at standardising the NATO advanced tank in-
ventory. Conceived and nourished by the experiences
since WWII, both partners were to invest jointly in de-
signing the most advanced armoured fighting vehicle
in the world.
But although prototypes were ready for combat
evaluation n 1961 in the shape of a sleek 50-ton 3-
man tank, problems soon arose.
While the Americans required the new tank for a
world-wide deployment, the Federal Republic of Ger-
many favoured a design suited to Central Europe. Dif-
fering fire-power concepts were also a prominent issue.
The Germans, based on their World War combat ex-
perience in Russia, favoured a high-velocity long-range
large calibre BUfl, while the Americans felt at the
time that a multi-mission gun capable of firing both
KE and shaped charge missiles, was needed.
An autoloader was designed by the Allison Divi-
sion of General Motors Corporation, based on a Ger-
 |
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An M-60 AIE2 firing the Shillelagh missile duing a fire power demonstrqtton at Fort Knox Armor Center in 1971. The
missile is effective at 3000 metres maximum range. The l52mm MI62 gunf missile launcher can also fire a conventional
range of ammunition with a combustile cartridge case.

XM-I crew relexing in their positions duing a short rest on an exhausting operational trial.

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Military Enthusiast No. l6 / page 7

The General Motors proposal for the MX-l proiect. This
model used the Teledyne Continental AVCR'1360 diesel
engine, an uprated version of the :combat-proven AVDS-
1790-2A, used in the M60 and the Israeli Centuion.

The first pilot modet of the XM'l tank shown to the public
man development, the first suited for use with a large at llarren, Michigan in February 1978. Note the wide shape
calibre gun. Another novelty was the driver's posi- of the turret and extremely well-formed frontal, comparable
tion, placed in the three-man turret to the left of the with contemporary German, French srui British tanks.
commander in a counter-rotating pod, always facing
front. Powered by a Teledyne Continental 1350 HP
multifuel engine, the most powerful so far designed,
the MBT-70 could achieve last acceieration and
high cross-country speeds. Its new pnertrnatic sus-
pension, similar to the system used in the ingenuous
Swedish S-tank, enabled superior survivability during
mobile engagements, by raising or lowering the tank's ' . ,"in
t ---
silhouette according to the terrain. Unfortunately the .r._,€-,....a1
US congress ordered the joint project abandoned in : - r' *..**
:r
1970 and allocated special funds for a new national
project. As a result, each country went its own way,
the Germans ending up with their powerful l20mm
gun Leopard II, and the Americans going along the
painful road which finally produced the XM-1.
But money must have been in abundance in Amer-
ica during the early seventies, as the XM803, the in-
a
Front view of the XM-I showing its "teeth". #-*
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XM-l prototype with 1976 camouflage colour scheme for combat triqls'
XM-1 on fietd trials negotiating heavy mud. Note the low silhouette and low-fitted gun over the hull clearly shown here

,$J

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Chrysler M-I on firW ftials during the OTII phnse at Aberdeen Proving Ground.

an
End of Fiscal Year

TYPE 1977 1978 t979 1980 198 1 1982 1983 1984 1987
M4BA5 764 L454 1823 1864 1864 1864 1864 1864 1864
M60 t554 L554 L554 L554 t554 L554 t554 t554 1554
M6OA1 454L 5500 5876 5686 5236 4736 4176 4092 4092
M6OA2 540 540 540 540 540 540 540 540 b40
M6OA3 nil 62 6t5 L465 2346 3CI32 3592 3676 3676
XMl at 60 tanks per month nil nil nil 63 542 79L 151 1 223L 4391
XMI at 90 tanks per month nil nil nil 63 342 791 L728 2808 6048
XM1 at 120 tanks per month nil nil nil 63 342 79t L753 3L23 725L

termediate successor of the MBT-70, was cancelled
only one year after its inauguration. Now an urgent
solution had to be found, if the United States was not
to be left far behind in modern tank warfare - and
time was running out fast as news of the new So-
viet tank designs filtered through Allied intelligence
channels. In February 1912 the US Army activated a
special task force, which included user, trainer and
development agencies aimed at cooperating closely
in devising the concept of the new MBT.
Following the presentation of the proposals in
1972, validation contracts were awarded n 1973 to
Chrysler Corporation and General Motors, who both
set about developing prototypes.In 1976, both prime

The AVCO Lycoming AGT-I500 gas-turbine engine, the

first of its kind powering a battle tank. With better power
and acceleration, the turbine is very economical from a fieW
maintenance point of view although present models are more
fuel-consuming than the high-power diesels. Although much
debated for its reliability, the Lycoming turbine performed
outstandingly during the long and exhausting field triels. It
is slso considered as a possible future rephcement of the
900HP Teledyne Continental AVDS-1790-5A ,liesel power-
ing the Merkava MKl.

Page 10 / Military Enthusiast No. l6

 XM-I during firing tests at OT IL
ws
XM-I during. a ho't climnte desert test at Yums, Arizona.
Designed for world wide deployment, the American
tank development concept differed shnrply from the Euro-
pean concepts of the MBT-70.

contractors presented their pilot vehicles for initial 'm', JqFtS.

testing. While GM opted for the 1500HP Teledyne &s
""ffi
Continental AVCR-1360-1 turbo-charged diesel,
Chrysler adopted an innovative approach by installing .s;s
the l500HP AVCO Lycoming AGT 1500 gas turbine.
In Novemb er 197 6 Chrysler was selected as the winner
of the validation phase, and a full-scale engineering
contract was awarded, worth 196 million dollars.
While the green light was given for local production, an
evaluation test was going on with the new German
Leopard II, in view of possible standardisation for
sub-systems.
In February 1980 the US Army accepted delivery
of the first two production XM-1 tanks in a ceremony
held at the army production line at Lima, Ohio.
The Chrysler XM-l Abrams is the first American
battle tank to be developed from scratch in the US
since WWII. While the long line of Patton tanks origi-
nated from the durable Sherman tank and underwent
couirtless upratings and modifications to sub-systems,
ammi;nition and powerpacks, the new tank is a dif-
ferent concept altogether, aimed at keeping the tank
top in its class until the end of the century. Whether
this will be achieved is very doubtful, as the Soviets
seem to be doing their utmost to exceed the XM- I
with their T-80 and its immediate successor already
on the drawing boards. R''.St
,whq- ff" a\
Certainly an impressive armoured vehicle, the XM- I roe{{ Sffi '

is also the most expensive tank ever produced, with

its unit price surpassing $1.55 million. With a top
speed of 72 kmlh on roads and up to 50 km/h over
crosscountry, the XM-l is a fast moving tank and a
marked improvement over the existing M60A3. The
same goes also for the silhouette which is extremely 2 XM-l tonks can be canied by the C-5A Galaxy heavy
low enabling the tank to find better cover for hull transport aircraft of usAF-MAC.
Military Enthusiast No. 16 /page 1l
Tank interior -here the gunner's position showing gunsights Tank diver tooking into his compartment from the front
and computer terminal. The XM-L fire control is very ad' hatch. Note the motorcycleiype handles.
vanced. Behind the gttnner are the tank commander's seat and
his override handles.

XM-L with gun traversed right shou'ing the flat shape of the turret.

*
*
. -*-3-'':.

Page l2 / Military Enthusiast No. 16

down positions. Survivability is enhanced by better
acceleration by the powerful gas turbine and ittlower
noise and smoke signature.
As in the German Leopard II and the British Shir-
Iran and Challenger models, the XM- I is protected by
compound armour technology. This covers the front
hull and turret structure, balancing the rest ofthe tank
with varying thickness of regular armour, ranging
from 3.25mm to l2.5cm. Spaced armour plating is
added in vulnerable areas to increase anti-chemical
attack capacity.
While the first production batch mounts the
US-type M68-105mm tank gun, firing the standard
M60 gun rounds of types M735 APFSDS, XM883 de- XM-I rear view. Note the close-fitting tuftet over the engine
pleted uranium enhanced KE penetration rounds, it deck.
is planned to upgun the tank from 1984 onwards, The gunner and tank commander can both lay on
with the Rheinmetall 120mm smooth-bore gun fitted target and the commander is also equipped with a 3X
on the Leopard II. sight for the Cal. 50 MG. Passive crew protection
The tank's fire control system is very advanced. against hits is improved by greater obliquity of the
Gun and turret drive are hydraulically powered with hull and turret surfaces and by armoured skirts over
the gun's elevation and depression achieved by a hy- the suspension. Several protective innovations will
draulic cylinder. Turret traverse is powered by a hy- improve the chances of survival following eventual pe-
draulic motor-gear box combination. The tank fea- netration.Ammunitionstowagehasbeencompartmen-
tures a Hughes laser rangefire and a back up fuli solu- talised with 44 main gun rounds carried in the bustle
tion solid state digital computer, with an interior self- behind sliding armour doors. Eight main gun rounds
checking fault control. are stowed in a compartment in the hull and three
Side view of the XM-I with gun pointed forward. Note the shape of the tunet with side-carrying bins and anti-shaped charge
phtes over suspension. The tunet is designed to include the Rheinmetall l20mm smooth-bore gun later.

.-,-3 "--- ;*-,

if.?'re-- *'-'4
ffi,
Military Enthusiast No. l6 / page l3
more on the turret floor, protected by spall plates. In
the event of a hit, the blast of the explosion is vented
upwards and out of the bustle by specially constructed
blowout plates, thus directing the detonating rounds
away from the crew department. During operational
tests on the Aberdeen Proving Ground, a prototype
XM-1 was fully loaded with fuel and ammunition and
subjected to various types of fire. The tank was not
only not destroyed, but was later driven away under
its own power.
Although the shape of the turret is aimed at achiev-
ing a low silhouette over the hull, allowances for hu-
man engineering considerations have prevented it from
reaching the close-fitting dome shape of the Soviet
tanks. Moreover, there are resulting HE pockets in
front and at the sides, especially when the turret is
traversed.
The driver's position is situation at the front centre
and is operated from a semi-reclining position when
driving with the hatch closed. Steering is done by a
rotating motorcycle type T-bar which acturates the
steering lever, with grips for throttle and fuel manage-
ment.
A centre periscope and image intensification peri-
scope for night driving is provided.
One of the most crucial questions arising on the
present validity of the XM-1 is the effectiveness of its
gun.
While the fire control system and the advanced op-
tical equipment may well ensure a high rate of first
hit at medium ranges, it remains debatable whether
the present l05mm gun, even with its advanced am-
munition, will cope with the frontal armour of the
T-64 and T-72.It is, of course, quite probable that gi-
ven a reasonable battle range of 1000-1500 metres at
certain flat angles, the XM883 arrowhead or long rod
penetrators will achieve penetration. howevet, a more
advanced arnour protection in the next generation of
Soviet tanks will make this more difficult. The lar-
ger calibre of the l20mm smooth-bore may improve
performance of the KE penetrators, but the question
still remains how much. Probably developments in
achieving enhanced penetration performance for large
calibre ammunition will become the state of the art
for the coming decade, once it is realised that the day
of the shaped charge has passed. The other question
remaining is that of the approval of the new gas tur-
bine under combat conditions. Although it now seems
that the worst has already been overcome, and tests
prove that acceptable levels of reliability have been
achieved, the evidence is still scanty for long-range
approval. Surely the advantages are remarkable. Con-
siderable savings in maintenance costs over the high-
power diesel engines are clearly evident. The tactical
advantages surmount the higher fuel consumption,
especially in close or medium range combat scenes,
such as Central Europe, where movement is limited
and staying power emphasised.
Although maintainability requirements are consid-
erably reduced due to technical modulisation, lack of
standardisation of allied tank inventory in NATO will
still present great headaches for the logistical comman-
ders in Central Europe, should an emergency occur.
However advanced the equipment, it will still be de-
pendent on highly skilled crews and excellent logisti-
cal facilities to keep them rolling in battle'

SPECIFICATIONS
(Specification is ptovisional and relates to tank armed with 105mm M68 gun)
CREW 4 GRADIENT 6jVo AMMUNITION
COMBAT WEIGHT 53.390 ke \IERTICALOBSTACLE 1.244m (main) 55
POWER TO WEIGHT TRENCH 2.743 m (12.7 mm) 1 000
RATIO 28.095 hp/ton TURNING RADIUS pivot to infinitely (7.62 mm) 11 400
LENGTH FUN variable FIRE CONTROL SYSTEM
(forwards) 9.766 m ENGINE Avco-Lycoming Turret power control electro-hydraulic
(rear) 8.966 m AGT-1500C gas manual
turbine developing By commander yes
LENGTH HULL 7.918 m
WIDTH 3.655 m 1500 hp at 3000 rpm By gunner yes

WIDTH REDUCED 3.479 m TRANSMISSION Detroit Diesel Max rate of

(tracking)4.2 /s
HEIGHT X-1 100-3A automatic power traverse
(to turret roo0 2.375 m hydro-kinetic with 4 (slew rate with
(overall) 2.895 m forward and 2 stabitsation) 42 /s
FIRING HEIGHT 1.89 m reverse gears Max rate of
STEERING hydrostatic power elevation (tracking) 1.4 /s
GROUND CLEARANCE
(hull centre) 0.482m FINAL REDUCTION (slew rate with
(hull sides) 0.432m RATIO 4.3"7 control handles)
TRACK WIDTH 635 mm SUSPENSION advanced torsion bar 22.5 ls
(slew rate with
LENGTH OF TRACK ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 24V
ON GROUND 4.65 m BATTERIES 6x12V stabilisation
MAX SPEED ARMAMENT commands) 42 /s
(road) 72.421 kmlh (main) x 105 mm Gun elevation/
(on 10% grade) 38.5 km/h (coaxial) x 7.62 mm MG depression +20 l-10
(on 60% grade) 8.3 km/h (anti-aircraft commander) x 12.7 mm Gun stabiliser
(anti-aircraft loader) x 7.62 mm (vertical) yes (sight)
ACCELERATION
SMOKE-LAYING (horizontal) ycs (turret)
0 - 32 km/h 6.2 s
FUEL CAPACITY 1997 litres EQUIPMENT 6 smoke dischargers
MAX RANGE (road) 450 km either side of turret
FORDING 7.279 m and integral engine
(with preparation) 2.36 m smoke generators
r*ttr*r ttt*t* ttt rtt trtt*t ***r**i tri**
*t*t**t ttt ttt ttt**t* tttttlr ***t*tr
ttttt*t ttttttt tttt*t* ttt tr* tttt*rr *ttJ*tt ttt*t
ttt tt* tl* rrr tt* rr* r*t ttr t
tt*tt*t t*t*ttt *r* tr* ttt*r** **aa*rt ttttt
ttrittt **rt*tt **rrttr rr***** **r**
t** t*tt*t* rrttrr rr*
ttt ttr tr* trt tr* t** ttt *r* *t* rt* *
ttt *trtrr* rir trt r** ttt***t t** r
ttt ttatrrr tttttti r*r tttr*** tti *
tt* tii*** rtratt r*r *ria*r* ttt *

THE CV IS IT STILL

>:! TG,-.5; -
-s .*__ -:-:"*
F-14 Tomcat belonging to VF 142, being tied to the catapult prior to launching.
The growth of Soviet fleet activity in the Mediter-
ranean has been a source of concern to NATO for se-
veral years. Although the Russians have traditionally
aimed at control of these confined waters since the
days of the Czarist regirne, all their efforts to gain a
scrious loothold in the "Mare Nostrum" were foiled
by the Western powers. Turkey, with its dominant
position on the Bosporus, kept close watch on every
Russian vessel crossing lrom the Black Sea into the
Sea of Marmara, while Gibraltar, controlling the west-
ern entrance to the Mediterranean, kept the Russians
at bay in tliat region. They have never given up hope,
however, that one day they would use a political op-
portunity to play a role in the naval scene in this im-
portant area.
It took them a long time to achieve their aim.
Having both domestic and external problems to
deal with since the Soviet Revolution, the new Com-
munist masters had other things on their minds dur-
ing the 30's and during World War II than trying to
enforce a presence in the Mid-East. But immediately
following World War II, the Soviets saw the impor-
tance of a naval presence as vital to their defence.
They realised the strategic vitality of the Med, zr sea
that would give them year-round access to their Black
Sea ports. Getting supplies to the port of Murmansk
in the north meant hazardous voyages over the frozen
waters of the Barents Sea. The end of the war saw
Russia emerge as a major power in direct competition
with the USA. Watching the fast decline of France
and Britain, the two conservative powers which had
controlled the Middle East for many decades, the So-
viets at last saw their chance to end their isolation,
and leaped into the international maritime limelight
Page l6 / Military Enthusiast No. l6
to claim their bit of the spoils.
But to begin with, the Soviets had neither the tools
nor the funds to implement their aim. This explains
the complete absence of Soviet naval vessels in the
Mediterranean during the fifties and early sixties. The
Arab-Israeli wars gave the Soviets the chance they
were waiting for.
The Arabs, with few political connections, had lost
both the 1948 and 1956 wars. Following leftist revo-
lutions backed by military regimes, the new Arab ru-
lers shifted towards the Soviets. With their massive
arrns arsenals, the Russians were in a physical position
to restock Arab losses with an abundance of military
hardware. The Western countries, even had they been
willing to do so, were powerless to help;they could
hardly supply their own needs at that time.
The Soviets, shrewdly aware of Arab needs, de-
manded use of military bases as part payment for the
arms deals. So it came about that following the Arab
defeat in the Six Day War, the Reds took control of
large areas of the Mediterranean during the late six-
ties. This was accomplished even with the limited na-
val forces they had on hand. The major Soviet naval
bases in the eastern Mediterranean were in Egypt and
Syria. Among them was a large Russian-built base at
Mersa Matruh; at times it was completely isolated
from the Egyptians themselves, the Soviets guarding
their installations as if they were their own territory.
Smaller bases were opened at Latakia in Syria, and in
Libya, where the Soviets now stock a vast arsenal.
A-7 Corsair line on deck awaiting permission to take
catapult position.
Based on these logistical bases, the Soviet naval pre-
sence grew from month to month, until it matched
the American naval strength in the area. It has be-
come a permanent threat for the Sixth Fleet to reck-
on with, and present efforts clearly spell out the So-
viets' determination to keep their naval presence in-
tact, whatever the Arab-Israeli peace talks may bring.
The big question is whether the Soviet naval force in
the Mediterranean will be eff'ective as an offensive
weapon in the event of war, or a mere nuisance factor
during peacetime, which hostilities will cause to with-
draw or to be eliminated by the Western naval powers.
This is where the interesting controversy of Ameri-
can versus Soviet naval power and doctnne, as well as
the insidious East/West armaments racc, comes into
view and must be considered.
The present American attack carrier concept resul-
ted from the effective implementation of the carrier
task force operations in the Pacific during World War
II. After the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Har-
bour, eliminating most of the mighty American
Pacific Fleet in minutes, the only effective fighting
forces remaining afloat were the aircraft carriers
Lexington and Enterprise, which fortunately were on
manoeuvres far away. This left the Americans no
choice but to concentrate on a fast programme of
building aircraft carriers, a move which later was to
bring America its decisive victory in the Pacific. The
Tl
large and powerful carrier task forces roamed the Pa-
cific, masters of the sea, as the war came to a bitter
end for the Japanese.
The carriers proved their worth even more in the
Vietnam war, where the need for accelerated air
strikes, sustained for long periods and originating
from well protected, highly mobile bases, was a domi-
nant factor. Here the carriers performed admirably.
With the experience gained by self-sustaining nuclear
powered supercarriers, they kept on the move. Their
huge storage capacity made them independent of sup-
plies, and they carried a large number of aircraft on
board for a variety of operations. This is how the
CVANs,and later the CVNs, came into being as a ma-
jor force.
The Soviet concept is completely different. Here
the emphasis is placed on a highly defensible self-con-
tained fighting unit, capable of operating alone. This
is similar to the German WWII concept, where strong
naval units performed admirably as self-operating
weapons systems. Thb U.S. concept is based on the
carrier group made up of several naval units constitu-
ting a fighting task force and complementing each
other.
The Soviets have only recently begun producing
aircraft carriers, and nothing they have come up with
so far comes even close to the giant American carriers
such as the Eisenhower. Today the Soviet Navy has
't4
.il
Ti
Military Enthusiast No. l6 / page 17
:trdrt*
\{
X*h

t F*'sd
Action on the flight deck - A-7 Corsair hunched off.
almost as many ships in the Mediterranean as the US
Navy. Large ships of the Kiev class VSTOL carrier
(40.000 tons) and the Moskva missile and helicopter
ship (18.000 tons), cruise the Mediterranean, mainly
confining their area of operations to the eastern wa-
ters, close to their Syrian and Libyan allies. The US
Sixth Fleet moves in the western side, sailing east-
#ffir_
wards at times of political or military tension, such as
Arab-Israeli flareups.
But the Soviets constantly shadow the movements
of the American ships, using their Tupolev Badger
maritime patrol aircraft, flying from bases in Libya
under Libyan Air Force markings, but manned by So-
viet crews. Formerly, similar patrols were flown from
bases in Eeypt.

NEWS.. . NEWS... NEWS...

HARPOON OPERATIONAL TESTS St. Louis, November 23, 1981 - Six
Harpoon anti-ship missiles launched at a-
bout the same time from two U,S. Navy
aircraft, two surface ships and a submarine
all scored direct hits on a target during re-
cent exercises of the Atlantic fleet, it was
announced today by McDonnell Douglas
Corporation, manufacturer of the versatile
missile.
The exercise involved a co-ordinated
attack on a decommissioned destroyer,
with all Harpoon missiles launched at
near-maximum range .
Firing single missiles were an ,4'-6 In-
truder aircraft from Squadron VA-75, a
P-3 Orion aircraft from Squadron VP-l 1,
the destroyer Hancock, and the guided
missile destroyer Barney. The nuclear at-
A McDonnell Douglas Harpoon anti'ship missile tack submarine Birmingham launched a Another Harpoon ASM hunched from a surface
a submarine. ship.
launched from salvo of two missiles...
Page l8 /Military Enthusiast No. 16
 The carrier task force and its main element, the
CVN, is one of the most admirable weapon systems
man has ever devised.
Its flexibility and versatility are major political and
military factors for the implementation of U.S. for-
eign policy. Its importance as a dominating factor in
the troubled Mid-East has no alternative so far. Having
lost access to most of the former military bases in the
area, such as Wheelus Field in Libya, the British naval
base in Malta, and, as a result of instability in the
Aegean Sea, the assurance of a continued use of bases
in Athens or Turkey, the US Navy now has to rely
more and more on its nuclear powered vessels. It
seems that this trend will continue, in spite of the
many differences of opinion regarding the future of
the giant aircraft carriers. At this time, the only
friendly bases where the US Navy can call in the en-
tire southeastern Mediterranean, are in Israel and per-
haps in Egypt, if the present peace initiative continues.
These ports, however, hardly have the necessary fa-
cilities to sustain a major supply system. Should this Any accident can cause major chaos on an aircraft canier.
be necessary, it would involve the USA in an ex- Here, an EAG9 landed on the Nimitz, destroy@ aircraft on
tremely sensitlve political decision regarding the Arab deck.and hurting rnny seamen.

oil sheikhs in the Persian Gulf. The sovereign British
RAF base at Akrotiri in Cyprus, being practically a
"ghetto" within unfriendly surroundings, could hard-
ly be regarded as a military base in the event of war,
as the Soviets already pay visits in the area. Moreover,
the Reds already plan to take over the former British
port facilities in Malta. Italy itself, being at present
the only major supply and command base for the
Sixth Fleet, ffiay be in future danger, if the present
trend for a leftist shift in the Italian government con-
tinues. A Communist government will eventually
bring Italy toward the Soviets, or at best make its
contribution to NATO doubtful, a situation already
in progress in Greece and Turkey. The present bul-
wark on the Bosporus is also crumbling from within,
and it needs little imagination to picture what will
happen once the Soviets have free access to the Medi-
terranean. As things are, they are already moving

NEWS.. . NEWS... NEWS...

The combined air, surface and subma-
rine fleet exercise on November 14 was
the latest in a continuing series to train
Navy personnel and to test weapons in a
tactical environment. Since 1976 when the
Harpoon went into production, the mis-
sile has performed reliably in more than
95 per cent of its launches.,.

US Navy Buildup
celebration of the launching of USS
Norfolk (SSN-714) nuclear powered at-
tack submarine, Later, the SSBN-726
(USS Ohio) nuclear powered ballistic mis- The new Boeing ALCM cruise missile
sile submarine, and two guided missile AGM-868) being mounted under B-52G
frigates - USS John A. Moore (FFG-19) wings during flight test made at Griffin
and Gallery (FFG-26) were also launched. AFB, December 1981.
They are equipped with AA, SSM and
anti-sub missiles, torpedos, guns, and carry
ASW helicopter.
Military Enthusiast No. l6 /page 79

A-6 tanker landing successfully on deck
their naval units quite freely through the narrows,
and in troubled periods the number ol Russian naval
units can match that of the USA. But at present, it
is doubtful if Soviet vessels, regardless of this indis-
putable individual importance as major fighting ships,
can be considered a serious threat. Their viability a-
gainst the present US naval strength is not heavily
significant against the task force concept and its pow-
erful kingpin, the CVN. Although a 40.000 ton Kiev
Class aircraft carrier, of which the Soviets are building
several in the last years, is a versatile weapon system
having no equal in the western sense, it flies only
VSTOL aircraft of the YAK-36 types, a plane similar
to the land based Flogger. This VSTOL plane, though
effective in its class (its role is reported to be mainly
fleet defence and anti-submarine warfare), could
hardly compete with the large variety of supersonic
The central below deck hanger with crews in full action
{w
!{n.
aill
Page 22 / Military Enthusiast No. l6
planes the US carrier task force can throw in against
it. Furthermore, the most that each of the Soviet na-
val units can launch at the moment is only some 8
anti-ship missiles at a time. A carrier force could, if all
its strike aircraft were to be armed with this kind of
weapon, counter with close to a hundred missiles.
These could be launched from different directions at
brief intervals, making them very effective against any
naval targets which might be endangering the task
force.
The Soviet navy, conventionally powered and de-
pendent on naval logistical support, is trying to gain
access to existing naval installations in the Mediter-
ranean. Previously, most of their bases were concen-
trated in Egypt; since they were ousted by President
Sadat in 1973, these have been lost of them. Alterna-
tive bases are being obtained in Libya and Syria but
more could be built in Malta and possibly in Algeria.
Having no aircraft carriers to counter the American
CVNs, the Soviets would have to rely on land based
long-range aircraft such as the Badger and Backfire.
These already fly out of Libyan bases on maritime
patrols, shadowing the movements of the Sixth Fleet.
Whether they could effectively attack or eliminate
the carrier task forces in event of war is doubtful, be-
cause of the very efficient early waming and effective
*.-
l* .
-n.-<._
a
fr
,F-
Grumman E2C Hawkeye of VAIU I2I early waming squodron A4 Intruder being catapulted, second in line A-7 Corsair

B
One of the Sikorsky - SH-3D Sea Kings of the ASW squadron

\J-".*-
*:*

Military Enthusiast No. l6 / page 23

defence systems the carrier task force can operate un-
der strict control. The main danger to the CVN would
be from missile-firing submarines; here, too, a highly
effective ASW defence is available.
But as political threat or constant nuisance especi-
ally (in a semi-cold war over oil routes), the Soviet
power display is more than effective and remains one
of the major sources of tension and potential trouble
in the Middle East. Should a Soviet-sponsored esca-
lation on the northeastern borders of Israel be initiated
in the future, as it has been in the past, the only ef-
fective force the Americans could rush to the area
would be a carrier task force from the Sixth Fleet. Al-
though this force could be reinforced in a relatively
short time with several more units coming from the
Atlantic, the Soviets could, short of an all out war,
severely hamper the effective manoeuvrability of the
carrier force by land based air patrols flying out of
Syria and Libya. Surface and submarine forces could
also limit the freedom of action of the US task force.
A gamble, certainly, but one that would pay otf rt
America wishes to prevent war. In the meantime, the
Soviet client states could make their military moves
on the ground, undisturbed as long as they seemed to
make headway. Once the war would again shift in Is-
rael's favour, the Soviets would withdraw quietly and
leave the mopping-up to UN negotiations for a cease-
fire as they did in the past. By then, the task of the
CVN would no longer matter.
But the carrier task force is not only apolitical wea-
pon, although in time of peace it seems so often
enough. It is really an elfective projection of power in
its broadest sense, bringing a powerlul concentration
of lorce to bear on a given point, at tremendous
speed - a lorce corlprising a quantity and variety of
McDonnell Douglas F-L8 Hornet, the navy's future addition.
Page 24 / Military Enthusiast No. l6
aircraft comparable to those from a dryJand base. It
can operate a strike force of several squadrons on
short notice, firing several hundred tons of widely
varied hardware in minute precision and under close
control. It can sustain action for long periods without
depending on external sources; it is able to defend it-
self effectively against most oi its enemies, whether
from air, surface or subsurface attack. This powcrful
sea monster, although immense in weight and size, is
still within logical proportions compared with the
power it packs. It is interesting to compare its dis-
placement with that of the USS Yorktown (of the
W"\MII Essex class) which had a displacement of some
33.000 tons and flew off over 100 propeller-driven
combat planes, each weighing only close to 7 tons
and packing over a one ton bomb load! In compari-
son, the "Ike" displaces 95,000 tons, but its strike or
interceptor planes carry almost six times as much as
the Grumman Avengers which made up the strike
force of the Yorktown. This means that while the dis-
placement of the CVN itself is only three times that
of Essex class carriers, its aircraft now weigh more
than eight times as much. Since many of the Eisen-
hower's planes are ASW or ECM mission planes, while
the Yorktown had mostly attack craft or fighters on
board, to even out the "Ike"s numerical force
would necessitate a displacement of over a quarter of
a million Essex class tons! But this comparison is only
partial; the present performance of the carrier air-
craft is a far cry from WWII. One squadron of 12 A-7
or 4.-6 aircraft can carry more hardware and in a greater
variety than could al1 the Yorktown's planes together.
The carrier task force is a highly potent weapon sys-
tem, and its importance both militarily and politi-
cally - is irreplaceable. It seems it will remain so for
a long time to come.
 GHTER

TIGE, ST'4^NK

x,6.,.(F3ue 25
Dutch Air Force NF-5 in formation low over the flatlands of northern Hollnnd. These F-5 were specially modified CF-S by
Canadair. Note wingtip fuel tanks, one of the main features of the F-5 AIB . Later F-5 types were equipped with AIM-I
Sidewinder AAM fitted to the wingtips.
"Four-three to Buzzard Four Zulu" - comes the call
over the radio, - "bogeys in contact bearing 070
closing in."
It is a Phantom leader calling control while racing
far cut over the North Sea into the greyish murk.
Several thousand feet below, two small aircraft flying
close formation are climbing at a steep angle towards
the clouds above. Their fuselages are painted in a
strange colour scheme with large numbers showing
up front.
At 2000 feet the four aircraft suddenly burst into
clear air and close rapidly. tsoth leaders identify each
other simultaneously and light their RT buttons. ln
the next seconds all their world tumbles. As the Phan-
toms launch their Sidewinder AAM at the bogeys,
these throw their little aircraft into a sudden 5-G break
that throws the missiles off mark. Fronr above two
more bogeys scream into the attack. Aerial Ambush is
being played out here and the Phantoms are in big
trouble. Now it is their turn to break and pulling all
their available Gs, they run for their lives, with the
Page 26 / Military Enthusiast No. 16
enemy in hot pursuit. The battle progresses quickly as
the jets pull high and accelerate downwards, cranking
hard into each other to gain advantageous positions.
The fight takes only a few moments but seems to last
for an eternity as time stands still...
This kind of game is seriously played out the world
over by the USAF Aggressor squadrons flying their
Northrop F-SEs. These small but powerful fighters
are the ideal choice for Soviet fighter simulation in
realistic air combat. Painted in Soviet combat aircraft
camouflage and displaying their type numbers, the so-
called Aggressor fighters are doing a terrific job in for-
warding realistic combat situations desperately needed
to build up Allied fighter pilots in their skills.
The F-5 started off as a privately-owned invest-
ment by Northrop, shrewdly aiming at the jet fighter
market of America's allies and the Third World.
Estimating that the requirements of those countries
flying the F-86 Sabre or F-84 Thunderstreak would
The Talon's extremely high safety and excellent in-flight
handling capability made it a foremost trainer. The Thunder- The Dutch Air Force Demonstration Team also flies the NF-5
birds, the USAF Aerial Demonstration Team, flies Talons. here seen at Twenthe AFB.

Norwegian AF RE-SA during Best Focus exercise 1980.

First gtoup of F-54 ariving at Mehrabad-Tehran Air Base
during the sixties. These airuaft were later delivered by the
Shsh to the Royal Jordanian Air Force, following the Six Day
War.

..,:ii11:j
xti

Mi I itary Enthusiast No.

t
16 / page 27
USAF T-38 Talon, the first supersonic jet trainer.

involve potential for the dcvelopment of a suitable
replacement. Northrop engineers realized a low-cost
fighter concept to compete with the increasing cost
of the Century series fighter which began to take
shape.
Fortunately for Northrop, General Electric Cor-
poration had developed a small, high thrust-to-weight
ratio turbojet engine, the J-8,5-1.
By the mid-fifties, the USAF decided that it re-
quired a supersonic basic trainer to close the ever-
widening gap between the existing subsonic Lockheed
T-33 and the supersonic combat aircralt in service.
The T-38 Talon made its first flight on l0 April
1959. With some 1200 aircraft in service, the Talon -
also known as the "White Rocket" -- has an excellent
safety record. Having trained over 40,000 pilots in
twenty years, its accident rate is below 2.2 per
100,000 flying hours, less than half the average rate
for Air Force aircraft.
While the T-38 trainer came into production,
Northrop went back to rvork on a fighter version.
Larger engine intakes were designed for the twin dash
five afterburning GE-J'85 13 1850kg thrust turbojets;
the leading edge rving roots became extended and a
drag chute was installed at the base of the rudder.
ln 1962 the Kennedy Administration was looking
for suitable ways to forrvard Western defence policies
by arms supplies to friendly nations, within a Military
Assistance Program (f,IAP). The new F-5A lightweight
and low-cost fighter seemed ideally suited forthe task.

The msin differences betveen the F-5AlC and F-5E are the engine and wingtip fitted Sidex,inder AAills, replacing the
externally carried Juel tanks, now mounted inside the fuselage antl wings.

Page 28 / Military Enthusiast No. l6

Aptly named "Freedom Fighter", the F-5A and its
subsequent versions became a fast-selling item over the
next years. With co-production rights granted to Ca-
nada, the Netherlands and Spain, the F-5 gained
ground quickly in those countries.
While sales went ahead abroad, the USAF organized
the 4441 Combat Crew Training Squadron at Williams
AFB Arizona. Starting in 1964 the CCTS turned out
aircrew and maintenance personnel for countries in-
cluding Iran, Korea and the MAAG to Vietnam.
While the aircraft carried USAF markings, they were
actually property of the respective countries and were
later delivered.
In 1965 a combatevaluation was requested for the
F-5 in
Vietnam and Operation "Skoshi-Tiger" was USAF T-38 at March AFB, California, used for flight training
launched with 12 F-5s taking part. Leaving Williams of B-52 airuew.
AFB on October 20, the 12 jets were accompanied in
their long flight by KC-135 tankers and after inter-
mediate stops at Hawaii and Guam, they reached Bien
Hoa safely and went into action a few hours after their
arrival. During their evaluation the F-5 flew over 3500 Jordanian Tigers - below: u F-5A at Mafraq (King Hussein
combat sorties; two were lost to enemy fire, several AFB ). Bottom: F-SE of the Jordanian AF I I Sqn vistting the
modifications were made and an advanced version was International Air Tattoo. Greenham Common, l98L

.s.*1**E**.*,*J
i i; li{$-}!s r1,_

qe- *:*ft*'e@ @""*

&

'"'lfrffi s

f*oe,

Military Enthusiast No. 16 / page 29

 _"w
wrc
l-3?ut. \
4?i

Northrop facility at El Segundo, the largest plant now pro-

ducing F-5ElF fuselages, to become the main
construction line for the F-5G.

The new "Shurk" nose on the F-5E first delivered to the

Thailand Air Force. A more efficient aerodynamic solution
for the high lift wings of the F-58, gring improved perfor-
mance und better use of the full flight envelope - it is now
also used in the F-SG version.

Swiss Air Force F-SE lined up qt Palmdale AFB, California,

prior to their delivery in Switzerlnnd.
Page 30 / Military Enthusiast No. l6
 A test made by the RF-58 camera shows the excellent
resolution from 17,000 feet over the Los Angeles maina.

designated F-5C Tiger later turned over to the

South Vietnamese Air Force. Unfortunately most of
those surviving battle fell to the advancing NVA who
still seem to be operating 25 F-5s today.
The results of these combat tests showed clearly
that the akcraft in its present configuration could
operate efficiently against ground targets, but was
limited in its air-to-air capability in face of the incom-
ing NVA MiG 21 fighters. Northrop therefore came up
with an advanced version, the F-5E. This type is a
much toughter aircraft than its predecessor. A new and
more powerful version of the J-85 engine the J-85
-
GE-21 - developing a 22'/o increase in thrust over the
previous type, was installed. The larger engine resulted
in the wings being relocated outboard from the air-
Military Enthusiast No. 16 / page 3l
 First deployed with the Training Squadron ut Luke AFB, Arizorw, a 425 TFTS (405 TTW) F-58 Tiger II is seen here
in flight with 2 AIM-9J sidewinders on its wingtips.

F-5E with F-15 Eagte. Although completely outclassing the F-5, F-15 pitots are trained in a "real" environment by F-5
A ggre ssor S quadro n airuaft.
Dissimilar Combat Training
During the prolonged action periods in Vietnam, the
USAF and Navy rcalized its poor showing in air-to-
air engagements. Although superior in numbers out
of proportion to the North Vietnamese, the American
fighter pilots fell far below the achieved results in Ko-
rea (Korea 9:1 South Vietnam; First Period: 2.3:l;
Second Period: Navy l2:l USAF 2:l).In comparison
to the Mid East where the IAF achieved the amazing
kill-rate of 50:1 fought over a relatively high-intensity
aerial battlefield, these results provided a shattering ex-
perience to American planners. They realized that,
pitted against an all-out Soviet impact in Central Eur-
ope, backed by saturated air-defence and overwhelm-
ing numbers, the American fighter pilots could hard-
ly expect to perform under such circumstances at the
kill-rate estimated. The American Navy and Air Force
therefore undertook drastic measures to uprate the
combat performance of their air crews. Starting off
with an effective "Top Gun" programme, carried out
by the Fighter Weapons School at Miramar NAS, the
USAF followed suit with the establishment of the
64th Fighter Weapons Squadron at Nellis AFB, which,
benefiting from accumulated comat experience,
became the most advanced system in the world.
As time progressed, the Americans established Aggres-
sor Squadrons, charged with realistic combat training
missions and aimed at bringing American and later
Allied air crews to a high combat skill, short of ac-
tual battle experience.
The Northrop F-5 was found ideal for this mission;
accordingly, the USAF now operates four Aggressor
Squadrons around the world - 64th and 65th FWS at
Nellis AFB, Nevada;26th TFTS at Clark AFB, Philip-
pines and 527th TSTAS at RAF Alconbury, England.
All are equipped with Tiger II F-5E/Fs. The US Navy
also operates F-5Es in two air combat manoeuvring
(ACM) training units at Miramar and Oceana Naval
Air Stations previously flying A-4 and T-38 Talons.
While the original Aggressor F-5As could simulate
or effectively combat Soviet MiG-l7s or Mig-19s the
F-5Es are able to counter Soviet MiG-21s or the advan-
ced type MiG 21 bis. To effectively tangle with the
advanced Soviet types, however, a more potent air-
craft had to be designed.
Military Enthusiast No. 16 / page 33
F-5F has virtually the same performance capdbilities as the F-58, but is a two-seater version.
craft centerline with an increased wing-span. Larger lar-
intakes were also provided. The new engines brought
the F-5E into the Machl6range. Advanced avionics and
armament and the higher speed enabled a new mission
capability. Two M-39 20mm cannon or two AIM-9
Sidewinders on wingtip, with five pylon weapon sta-
tions rendered multi-mission capacity.
Many of the modifications were taken over from al-
ready existing realisations by foreign co-producers.
The manoeuvring flap system has originally been de-
signed for the Dutch Air Force NF-5. The two position
nose gear which could raise the aircraft three degrees
for an increased angle of attack on takeoff was devel-
oped for the Canadian and Dutch F-5; coupled with
the new engines, takeoff performance was increased by
30%. A JATO system and arrester hook were devel-
oped for the Norwegian Air Force.
The first F-5E was ready for testing in 1972; deli-
veries started early in 1973 to 425 TFS, now respon-
sible for training foreign pilots.
The Royal Canadian Air Force selected the F-5 as
a fighter-bomber in 1965. Ordering 125 aircraft to be
built by Canadair as a licencee of Northrop, the CF-5
was powered by two J-85-15. Modifications were made
including a gyro-optical gunsight, two position nose -
wheel strut and an inflight refuelling probe. Five squad-
rons were equipped with CF-5. Eighteen two-seater
CF-5D were operated at OTS Cold Lake, Alberta.
Later modifications for Canadian models included an
arrester hook intake, anti-icing, jettisonable underwing
pylons. A quick-change recce housing for 3 70mm Vin-
ten cameras was fitted in the nose housing for recon-
naissance duty.
The Norwegian Air.Force ordered 94 F-5A and 14
Page 34 / Military Enthusiast No. 16
F-5B from Canadair, designated NF. It operates 6
squadrons of F-5. 332, 336 and 717 (RF-5A) are at
Rygge, 334 flies F-5A at Bodo, 338 squadron is equip-
ped with F-5A at Orland and No. 718 operates F-5B at
the OTU at Sola.
The Dutch Air Force replaced its F-84 at the end of
the sixties with the first aircraft arriving at the Dutch
air base at Twenthe. Ordered from Canadair, the Dutch
NF-5 were an improved version of the CF-5. These mo-
difications included electrical-actuated louvre doors to
increase mass airflow for takeoff, strengthened wing,
maneuvring flaps, provision for wing pylon tanks, ejec-
tion-type bomb racks and other avionic systems.
Supported by the USAF 2nd Aircraft Delivery
Group, the Dutch NF-5 were flown from the Canadair
plant at Bagotville, Quebec, over the Atlantic.
Flying in batches of six, the aircraft flew via Goose
Bay, Labrador to Soustrom on Greenland; after
landings at Keflavik, Iceland and Lossimouth, Scotland,
they finally reached Twenthe. Second Aircraft Delivery
Group provided ground support, weather briefings, and
operated two C-130 Hercules airborne navigation sta-
tions, carrying special UHF and DF radio and radar
flying at 25,000 feet at midpoints far out over the At-
lantic. In spite of the long duration of the ferrying
operation, the twenty flights passed without mishap.
Although a few teething troubles were encountered,
on introducing the NF-5 into the Dutch Air Force,
most of them were of a minor nature and were over-
come with several modifications.
In all, the Dutch Tactical Air Command operated
four NF-5A squadrons, 313 and 315 at Twenthe, 314
at Eindhoven,376 Squadron at Gilze Rijen.
 A rear view of the F-SG showing the GE F404 engine,
specially designed for the advanced F-18 ftghter. The single
enRtne without ofterburner is more powerful and economical
thun the two GE-85-13 engines of the F-58 going at full
afterburner blast:
For ground attock capobility, the F-sG TIGERSHARK
mounts 4 Maverick missiles, 30mm gun pod or warload of
MK-82 bombs on top of the 20mm gun and two wtngtip
mounted Sidewinder AAMs.

Assembled in Spain were eight SF-5 from parts manu-

factured at the Northrop plant. The rest of 69 SF-5A
and SF-5B were manufactured at the Casa factory in
Spain, the first Spanish SF-5 coming off the produc-
tion line in June 1968. The Spanish Air Force operates
five F-5 squadrons with 731 Sqn and 732 Sqn atTala-
vera La Real, 212 and 211 Sqns at Moron and 464
Sqn at Gando on the Canary Islands.
Greece received a total of 80 F-5A and 9 F-5B.
Some of these served formerly with the Iranian Air
Force. The bulk of the F-5 fleet is operated by two
multi-role squadrons, No. 341 and 349, based at Nea
Ankhialos. A third squadron, No. 343, based at Salo-
nika-Mikra, is equipped with F-SA/B and RF-5A,
tasked at close air support mission roles.
Turkey operates five fighter-bomber squadrons
with 70 F-SA/B and two reconnaissance squadrons
with 27 RF-5A and 4 F-5B. Switzerland is another
large operator of the F-5. Altogether four fighter
squadrons are equipped with 7l F-58/F with a further
Military Enthusiast No. l6 / page 35
 38 on order. These replaced the Swiss Hunters from
their original role to FGA missions, whereas the F-5E
joined the Mirages in air defence roles. Including some
minor changes in structure and ILS equipment, the
Swiss Air Force will eventually operate over 100 F-5s.
In the Middle East several nations operated F-5s.
One of the largest and oldest users is lran. With eight
operational squadrons flying F-SE/F these seem to be
the only seriously operational units in the Khomeini-
Iranian Air Force at war with Iraq now for over a
year. The late Shah's Iran was one of the first buyers
of F-5s in the sixties, and some of its F-5s have pro-
bably been in action during the India-Pakistan wars.
Now .Lgain in combat, this time against the powerful
Iraqi r\ir Force equipped with Soviet MiG 23 and
French Mirage F-1, the Iranian F-5E, together with
Canadian I TFS mixed colour CF-5D from Cold Lake AB Alberta, seen here at the Abbotsford Airshow, 1980.
Other F-5 Around the World
Far East
Taiwan - gFGASqnswith252F-5A|E/Fmanu=
factured by the Aero Industry Centre
in Taichung. Taiwan plans 180 F-5Es.
Korea - The ROK Air Force operates 10 Sqns
with 228 F-5A/B/E and I recce sqn
with 12 RF-SA. A further 68 are on
order.
Singapore - Operates I air defence squadron with
18 F-5E and 3 F-5F. A further 6 are
on order.
Page'36 / Military Enthusiast No. 16
the remaining Phantoms, carry the brunt of the air
fighting. Although only a few air-to-air combats have
been reported, the F-5s are used in counter-air and
tactical air support missions as well as on bombing
missions. It seems that of the original 166 F-5s, pro-
bably over half were lost in action, or grounded for
lack of spares.
The Royal Jordanian Air Force has four squadrons
equipped with F-5s. Originally it received its first
F-5As from lran following the Six Day War, during
which it lost most of its Hunters to Israeli air strikes.
No. I and 2 Squadrons based at Mafraq, No. 17
Squadron is based at Prince Hassan AB near the Iraqi
border. An OCU operates 20 F-SA/B from King Hus-
sein AFB. Saudi Arabia has three fighter-bomber
squadrons flying F-SEs, as well as three OCU with 40
F-5F/Bs based at Dhahran.
Other countries in the Middle East operating the
F-5 include North Yemen with 12 F-5E and 4 F-5B,
Morocco with 4 FGA squadrons of 47 aircraft, Ethi-
-'=*>,a&
-€
-
--L-t
=1nEff ,
opia with one squadron of 7 F-SA/E, transferred by
the Shah's Iran during the Ogaden War in 1977 . Libya
had several F-5s in its inventory before replacing
them with advanced Soviet and French aircraft. The
remaining F-5s were later presented to Pakistan.
Thailand - 1 FGA Sqn with 14 F-5A/B;2 AD
Sqnswith 30 F-5E and 6 F-5F; 1 rec-
ce Sqn with 4 RF-SA. On order: 8
F-5E.
Vietnam - 25 F-5A (remaining operational)
Philippines - 19 F-5A, 3 F-5B. On order: 1l F-5E.
Latin America
Brazll - 2 FGA Sqns with 33 F-5E, 5 F-sB
Chile - 15 F-5E, 3 F-5F in FGA role.
 ?.;,,,

Full operational mock-up of the F-5G TIGERSHARK. Ilith Moch 2 capability, this new fighter has exceptional
scale
maneuvrability and its demonstrations are by far superior to the F-5E, due to its inueased power and excellent
aerodynamic design. Several design features of the F-5E have been enhanced in
By now, apart from the American Aggressor Squad- the F-5G Mach 2 Fighter. T'hese include the "Shark" nose
rons, 28 countries have flown F-5s in their vari- u raised and improved visibility cockpit canopy, leading edge
ous models and configurations. To face the grorving extensions, modified verticul stabilizer, superior cooling for
threat from advanced Soviet aircraft, especially the the engine, with an airflow directed from the stabilizer root
inlets
MiG 23 Flogger, Northrop came up with its answer:
the F-5G Tigershark.
Using advanced technologies to produce a potent
fighter while producing a simple and reiatively inex-
pensive aircraft by using existing infrastructures in
the new design, the F-5G is aimed to become a high
performance fighter.
Powered by a single General Electric F404 engine,
specially built for the F-l8 Hornet, the Tigershark
will have an improved thrust-to-weight ratio.
with a Mach 2 speed and 9G load capable airframe.
Its small size, smokeless engine and panoramic half- The new raised canopy of the F-SG provides an all-round view,
bulb shaped well-equipped cockpit, renders it excel- Using superior transparent material increases the visibility of
lent air-to-air combat capabilities. With remarkably the pilot. By removing the bulkheadi behind the pilot, the
low maintenance requirements improving the already ov er-the-shoulder view is eryanded considerably.

excellent achievements of the F-5E series, it will be

easy to maintain from a cost and manpower viewpoint.
Advanced avionics, adaptable to the users' require-
ments, enable cost-effective budgeting to prevent over-
sophistication. Air-to-air and air-to-ground radar
modes give the new aircraft multi-mission capacity.
The new F-5G Tigershark may well become an ex-
cellent combat aircraft in its class and provide the Ag-
gressor Squadrons with a valuable addition for realis-
tic combat training, one of the most important meas-
ures to keep Allied fighter pilots on their toes.
Military Enthusiast No. l6 / page 37
Beaders Gornor BOOf,Sf,EI.F

Dear Sir, Dear Readers,

I would like to comment on some of the recent artic-
les in your MILITARY ENTHUSIAST magazine. I
found the Combined Arms Air defence destruction ar-
ticle, as well as the "Close Up" article on Soviet equip-
ment very interesting. Other articles such as the Strike
Eagle and F-18 articles, were less important, as in the
limited space provided tn magazines, one cannot get
enough for serious reading.
Please keep up the MID EAST Round-up with more
details on this important update.
On the pictorial work - please select photos of Armed
Aircraft. The reader can learn much more on aircraft
from these details. If possible, do not remove squadron
markings from the aircraft (particularly IAF).
Yours sincerely,
G. HarZion, Israel
Dear Mr. HarZiot,
Thank you for your letter. As editor, I am very grate-
ful to you and other readers for your ideas, as this is the
only way we can try to keep up the good work.
As for your requests for more detailed articles, we are
doing our utmost to bring different angles on new devices
such as the F-18 and FUSE which we do not find in
other sources. These might, of course, bring similar and
additional articles. As for armed aircraft photos, we are
trying, but there are not many of them around today.
We use this occasion to call to all our readers: please
send us your requests and ideas for items YOU want to
read - and we shall try to publish them.
The Editor
As a service to our regular readers around the
world, we hereby place at your disposal our exclusive
BOOK MAILING SERVICE.
We have been able to secure for you important
books from lsrael and abroad which are related to
subjects covered in our publications. Some of these
are rare; several of them have been out of print for a
long time and are therefore limited in quantity. All
are new and in MINT condition.
We shall print book lists in all our next editions,
updating the information according to subject head-
ings, so that you will be able to order your requests
with ease. All our prices include handling and postage
with no additional cost. Please write your request in
CLEAR BLOCK LETTERS on the order form. All
orders are to be prepaid before handling.
Our f irst list covers:
1. Books by the Publishers;
2. Rare lsraeli books;
3. Books on Soviet armed forces;
4. New compact guides and reference books.
From the Editor
NEW ! for our readers-

NEWS. . . NEWS. . . NEWS. ..

...RDF to deploy F-15C - The lst
Tactical Fighter Wing at Langley Air
Force Base, Virginia, has started receiving
the first 68 F-15 C single-seat and four F-
15D two-place Eagles. Once transition is
completed in mid-1983, the fighter wing
will be the first U.S.-based Rapid Deploy-
ment Force unit to be equipped with ad-
vanced Eagles.
The Rapid Deployment Force, which
includes elements of all U.S. military
branches, was created last autumn to be
sent quickly wherever vital U.S. interests
are threatened. The Force's F-15s, carry-
ing 67 per cent more fuel than earlier ver-
sions of the F-l5A and F-15B, will be
Page 38 / Military Enthusiast No. l6
able to fly more than 3000 miles (4830
kms) nonstop and unrefuelled. With a
minimal number of refuellings they will
be able to reach potential trouble spots
throughout the world.
... RDF - update - fust "Bright Star"
evaluation. Fifteen UH-60A Black Hawk
helicopters flying in the U.S. Rapid De-
ployment Force BRIGHT STAR'82 exer-
cise last month in Egypt achieved an ope-
rational readiness rate of 98 percent. The
statistics, compiled by the U.S. Army and
United Technologies Sikorsky Aircraft,
demonstrate the superior performance of
the helicopters.
"The aircraft performed magnificent-
1y," according to Maj. Joe Fucci who
commanded B Company, 82nd Combat
Aviation Battalion, 82nd Airborne Divi-
sion, during the exercise. B Company's l5
BLACK HAWKs were airlifted from Fort
Bragg, North Carolina to Cairo West Air-
field by Air Force C-5 Galaxy transports
for BRIGHT STAR.
The BLACK HAWK company was as-
signed the task of keeping troops and
equipment moving through ten days of
manoeuvres in the Egyptian desert. The
helicopters flew a total of over 304 hours
and carried an estimated 2,500 soldiers.
The Sikorsky-built BLACK HAWKs flew
275 sorties, making 1,107 landings,777
of them in the desert.

SECTION 1 _ MID EAST WAR SERIES
An already nruch favoured, i.llustrated series
fiom Born in Battle, covering in detail the
armed lorces of Israel and the NIid East rvars.
Already published:
Israel's Army / Israel's Air Force / Yom Kip-
pur War / Israel's Armour / Airborne
Commando.
Next in the series:
Six Day War / Suez Crossing / War of
pendence.
80 pages. Price erch S9.75.
SECTION 2 - RARE ISRAELI BOOKS
Major General Ezer Weizman
ON EAGLES'WINGS
The outstanding autobiography of ex-
Defence Minister and IAF Chief Ezer
Weizman. being also a history of Israel's
Air Force. Vividly rvritten. 306 pp
illustrated.
$ I 2.5 0 including postage.
Major General H. Herzog
THE WAR OF ATO\E\IENT
This now famous 'cook on the Yom Kippur
War is available again atier being much
sought after b1'man1'readers around the
world. An exc€llent 3ccount of the war by
an ex-Chief of Intelligence. 175 pp. illus-
trated.
$15.95 includirg postage.
Edward Luttn'ali and Dan Horovitz
THE ISRAILI .{R\tY
A rare book auihoritarivel!' describing
Israel's armeci tor'-es in detail. With an
historical background. this book gives a
complete insighi into rhe makings of the
Israeli Army'. .{ musi ior military students,
long outof-prini and nos' available again
in limited numbers. -lE5 pp illustrated.
$12.50 including posrage.
H. Bar-Tov
48 DAYS AND 20
A biography olthe lare Lt. General David
"Dado" Elazar. Chief of SratT. Israel De-
fence Forces during the Yom Kippur War.
An excellent account. in unprecedented
detail, of this war. 606 pp.
$19.50 including postage.
Major General A. "Bren" Adan
ON BOTH BANKS OF THE SIJEZ
Unique personal account of the Yom Kip-
pur War by an Israeli division commander
and chiei of its armoured corps. The most
detailed and outspoken description of this
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512 pp. iliu.-irared.
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SECTION 3 SECTION 4
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VIETNAM
AIR WAR OVER 58.95
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THE SOVIET WAR MACHINE /
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drawings. 348 pp. illustrated.
$18.50 including postage.
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