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            대한민국 공군 - KANKOOK KONG GOON -  REPUBLIC OF KOREA AIR FORCE

            Credit:  Roundels of the world

Procurement
A total of 88 Northrop F-5A and 20 Northrop F-5B were supplied under MAP between 1965 and 1972, another 16 F-5B were bought directly.
Military Assistance Program (MAP) F-5As were granted in following US Fiscal Years:  1963 - 29; 1964 - 3; 1965 - 17; 1966 - 5; 1967 - 14; 1968 - 6; 1970 - 3; 1971 - 10; one is unaccounted.  By mid-68 there were a total of 54 Northrop F-5s in the country.

Pilot training started during 1964 when 4 instructors were trained in the USA, while deliveries of F-5s Freedom Fighters began in early April 1965; they replaced North American F-86Fs.

        
Northrop F-5B 20447 in USA September 1973 before delivery. Photo: Archive The Northrop F-5 Enthusiast

The Republic of Korea AF planned originally to buy McDonnell RF-4E for reconnaissance purposes, but the plan was abandoned and 8 Northrop RF-5A were purchased in US Fiscal Year 1971; a former Republic of Vietnam AF example was added when this contry collapsed.

The war in Vietnam brought on 28-10-72 an US request to transfer 48 Northrop F-5As to South Vietnam, under operation "Enhance Plus". These fighters were to be replaced by Northrop F-5Es as soon as they were to be available.
Korea did not agree to this and requested the delivery of 18 McDonnel F-4D in exchange for the Freedom Fighters. Finally, a compromise offer was submitted, either to lease of 18 McDonnel F-4D or to base 2 USAF McDonnel F-4 Squadrons locally for the air defence of the country. The first alternative was chosen by Korea; only 36 F-5A were transferred to South Vietnam. 

An important expansion of the Republic of Korea Air Force at the mid of the 70's saw the establishment of several new Squadrons, to be equipped with McDonnell F-4 and 126 Northrop F-5E, 9 Northrop F-5F (later to be increased to 19/20 F-5F), first Northrop F-5E being delivered on 27-08-74; AIM-9L Sidewinder were bought to arm all these aircrafts.
First aircraft was handed over on 27-08-74; at least four F-5E were seen at Williams AFB the same month in USAF markings (possibly with 425th Squadron) to train Korean pilots. Final 6 were delivered by mid 1979.

  Photo: Northrop
Early Northrop F-5E 01493 with SEA camouflage on a test flight in USA.

 Photo: unknown
Northrop F-5E 10592 with gray camouflage on delivery by Lockheed C-5 Galaxy.

Some Freedom Fighters were kept in service, including some of the 19 returned from Vietnam AF use around 1975; all first line Korean F-5A/Bs  were gradually replaced during the mid 70's till end of the and 80's by Northrop F-5E/F and used on second line duties.
Three Northrop F-5A have been sold in September 1996 to the Philippines (delivered by ship) for a friendly price of USD 100.00 each, five additional followed in October 1998, flown to Clark AFB.By the end of the 70's

Following an enormous industrial development, Korea was able to start building aircrafts under licence. A request was sent in 1979 to the US Government to build General Dynamics F-16 under licence, but the it refused authorisation, offering instead co-production of Northrop F-5s with full logistic support and production tooling, training and technical assistance.
In 1980 an agreement was signed by the Hanjin Corporation (a Korean Air Lines company), under Programm Bridge, for the manufacture at Pusan (cost USD 104m) of 36 Northrop F-5E and 32 F-5F, locally named KF-5E/F Chegong-Ho (Skymaster), their General Electric J-85 engines to be assembled by Samsung Precision Industries, which had already overhauled them. These new aircrafts were modified with RWR sensors, automatic flaps, chaff and flare dispensers and an radar with increased range.
Hanjin Corporation supplied F-5E and F-5F bonded components to Northrop during the period from April 1985 till December 1986.

Work started in 1981, the first Korean built aircraft (F-5F serial 81-00594) made its first flight on 09-09-82; the final aircraft was delivered on 28-10-86. A change in Air Force requirements resulted in 48 single- and 20 double-seaters being built.

  Photo: unknown
First Hanjin Corporation built F-5F. It received later the standard gray camouflage.

Interest in an upgrade of the Tigers to extend their operational life was shown in 1986; the programm began with trial installation in 1988 of an Honeywell H-423 laser INS and an GEC HUD/WAC on an F-5F. Included in the specification were also a laser ranger, a data transfer system, plus (possibly) a new radar. Unfortunately this was without follow-on.

Manufacturing licence for the ALR-85 (V) Radar Warning Receiver system to be installed on F-5s was granted on 04-08-99.

Paveway II and Paveway III laser guided bombs were bought to arm both the Northrop F-5E and MDonnell F-4s in 2003; improved air-to-air missiles AIM-9P were also bought.

Life extension of the remaining 27 Northrop F-5Bs plus of the Northrop F-5Fs, adding a further 4'000 hours of fatigue life was considered in mid 1992, decision postponed in October 1994 and later definitely cancelled, taking into consideration the development of a new Korean supersonic trainer; this last was in competition with a proposal by Daewoo Heavy Industries to mate a Northrop T-38A cockpit with an F-5A fuseselage plus fitting new wings.

The completely new aircraft, built by Korean Aerospace Industries, designaited T-50, was finally chosen. Replacement for the remaining Tigers is foreseen with an armed, single-seater version of the Korean Aerospace Industries T-50 trainer, named KAI A-50 Golden Eagle, 22 of which are already on order.

                     Photo K.A.I
            Test aircraft for the future single-seater A-50 accompanied by F-5E 50507 and 00890.