USA USN F 5N Dan Stijovich 640First 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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Photo (just illustrative) by Dan Stijovich via AirHistory.net

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