Tactical Air Support Inc to provide US Navy F-5N Tiger II with upgrade kits.

Tactical Air Support Inc., Reno, Nevada, is awarded a $14,800,000 firm-fixed-price contract. This contract provides for the procurement of six-block upgrade system kits, consisting of four F-5N+ kits and two F-5F+ kits, in support of the F-5N+/F+ avionics reconfiguration and tactical enhancement/modernization for the inventory standardization program.

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Northrop F-5N Tiger II Aggressor of VMFT-401 «Snipers» of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. (Picture source: USMC)

Work will be performed in Jacksonville, Florida (28%); Olathe, Kansas (15%); Carlsbad, California (11%); Clarksburg, Maryland (10%); Grand Rapids, Michigan (7%); Woodland Hills, California (6%); Franklin, North Carolina (6%); Salt Lake City, Utah (4%); Minneapolis, Minnesota (3%); Warner Robbins, Georgia (2%); Camarillo, California (2%); Jupiter, Florida (2%); Avenel, New Jersey (1%); Fairborn, Ohio (1%); Deerfield, Illinois (1%); and Auburn, Alabama (1%), and is expected to be completed in August 2022.

Fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $14,800,000 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

After winning the International Fighter Aircraft Competition, a program aimed at providing effective low-cost fighters to American allies, in 1970 Northrop introduced the second-generation F-5E Tiger II in 1972. This upgrade included more powerful engines, larger fuel capacity, greater wing area and improved leading edge extensions for better turn rates, optional air-to-air refueling, and improved avionics including air-to-air radar. Primarily used by American allies, it remains in US service to support training exercises. It has served in a wide array of roles, being able to perform both air and ground attack duties; the type was used extensively in the Vietnam War. A total of 1,400 Tiger IIs were built before production ended in 1987. More than 3,800 F-5s and the closely related T-38 advanced trainer aircraft were produced in Hawthorne, California.

The F-5N/F variants are in service with the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps as adversary trainers ("Aggressors").