This coming July 4th will be no ordinary date for the Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF). As announced by Taiwan’s Minister of Defense, Wellington Koo, before the Legislative Yuan, the day will mark the official retirement of the F-5E/F Tiger II fleet, which has served in various roles and capacities over the past 50 years, becoming one of the iconic aircraft of the Cold War. However, it has not been confirmed whether the event, to be held at Hualien Air Base, will also mark the end of operational service for the RF-5E Tigergazer—the reconnaissance variant of the Tiger—which is set to be replaced by the new MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones purchased from the United States.
The decommissioning of the Tiger II fleet had already been announced last year by Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense as part of the broader modernization plans for the island’s armed forces, along with increased defense spending.
In the specific case of the ROCAF, the service is undergoing a significant modernization process of its combat platforms and pilot training capabilities. This is evident in the upgrade of its 139 F-16A/B Block 15 fighters to the Block 70 Viper standard, as well as the purchase of 66 new F-16Vs from the U.S., intended to replace its Mirage 2000 fleet.
As for the Tiger II aircraft—of which Taiwan has been one of the largest operators globally—their replacement in combat roles began in the 1990s with the arrival of the first F-16s and the introduction of the domestically designed and built F-CK-1 fighters. The Tiger IIs were gradually reassigned to advanced training and pilot instruction duties, a role previously fulfilled by the F-5A/B until 1996.
The replacement of the F-5E/F in this training role has been realized through the adoption of the new T-5 Brave Eagle, an advanced trainer variant developed from the F-CK-1 combat aircraft, which is also replacing the aging AT-3 trainers. Following its maiden flight in June 2020, the ROCAF has moved forward with the acquisition of a fleet of 66 aircraft, all locally manufactured by Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC).
Finally, regarding the F-5E/F Tiger II, the ROCAF—as previously noted—was a major operator of this U.S.-origin aircraft. In total, across all versions—from the early A/Bs to the E/F variants and the reconnaissance models—the service operated around 500 units. The first Freedom Fighters, provided by the United States in 1965 under military assistance programs, replaced the aging F-86 Sabres.
A significant portion of the Tiger II fleet was assembled by AIDC, while others were transferred from the U.S. to compensate for the F-5A/B aircraft that Taiwan had supplied to the South Vietnamese Air Force. Taiwan received its first F-5E in December 1974. According to available figures, Taiwan locally produced a total of 242 single-seat and 66 twin-seat F-5Fs.
In the mid-1990s, a small number of F-5Es were selected for conversion into a reconnaissance version under a program carried out by Singapore Technologies Aerospace. These aircraft were designated RF-5E Tigergazer. Among the modifications, the original radar and nose-mounted cannons were removed and replaced with various observation systems, including a low-altitude wide-angle KA-95 camera, a forward-looking KA-87D camera, and an RS-710E infrared sensor.
Nevertheless, the aging of the Tiger II fleet has become apparent. By the end of their operational life—and according to various sources—the ROCAF still had a total of 27 F-5Es, 35 F-5Fs, and 5 RF-5Es in service, primarily assigned to the 7th Tactical Fighter Training Wing at Chihhang Air Base for advanced flight training, and the 12th Tactical Reconnaissance Group at Hualien Air Base, to name just the most active units to date.
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