First US Navy F-5N+ arrives for testing
The first Avionics Reconfiguration and Tactical Enhancement/Modernization for Inventory Standardization (ARTEMIS) F-5N+ arrived at NAS Patuxent River (MD) for ground and flight testing.
The ARTEMIS programme requires aircraft retrofit installations to be performed on 22 F-5 Tiger IIs (sixteen F-5E and six F-5F), formerly owned by the Schweizer Luftwaffe (Swiss Air Force). The planned modifications include both the airframes and their J85-21 engines. After the upgrade, the Tigers will be designated as F-5N+ and F-5F+.
The delivered F-5N+, serial not confirmed, is one of three F-5Ns that will be used as prototypes of the modernized cockpit, avionics and supporting aircraft architecture. These upgrades improve safety, capability and reliability, while resolving increasing obsolescence issues.
At a later stage, the ARTEMIS programme will provision kits and integrate the Block Upgrade System in up to forty additional currently in-service F-5N/Fs.
On 12 March 2021, Scramble Magazine reported on the ARTEMIS programme. If you have information on the first delivered F-5N+, please inform us at
Photo (just illustrative) by Dan Stijovich via AirHistory.net