Hi,
we assume that,if Northrop F-20 was entered service as lightweight fighter and
fighter-bomber to be used with F-16.
I can tell,it was replaced F-5,and used as interceptor and light attack or in close
support missions.
Hesham -
Howdy !
Northrop used to run an ad in “ Aviation Week & Space Technology “ at the time, that
said ( paraphrased from memory ) : “ From engine start to intercept, the “Tigershark“
was the “ fastest plane in the world “! They went on to explain that the F-20’s INS didn’t need time spent parked @ idle, to align…. before the plane being scrambled.
IMHO - Availability of enough F-20s could have been a major impactor on
Air National Guard’ “ Primary Aircraft Authorized “ ( PAA ) for at least some units…. In the latter -70s and perhaps then into the -80’s. The F-20 was being offered by Northrop in-advance of the large draw-down on dedicated ANG interceptor units and
bases; and also later some… BRAC actions at places like Grand Forks AFB and Otis AFB. The first round of BRAC started the same year the F-20 came out.
Notionally, dedicated ANG Interceptor outfits were unsure of clear replacement aircraft for their F-106s and F-4Ds… while also competing in-essence for a finite number of
F-4Es that the ANG already needed to replace legacy F-100 and A-7 air-to-ground aircraft being retired. The “ powers that be “ compounded the situation w/ other changes in PAA and/or their assigned core mission across the Air Guard.
Example: The ANG unit @ McConnell ANGB Kansas for a while, working to get up-to-speed on their newly assigned B-1Bs !
ANG mechanics in the 122FW at Ft. Wayne, IN were being assigned tech school dates for supporting their upcoming conversion to KC-135s…. after being a fighter/bomber outfit for decades since their inception. Having some quantities of affordable F-20s available to support ANG PAA retirements at the time, could have eased the many large-scale gyrations seen in ANG unit’ assigned mission and tasking.
The Commander of the 122FW went so far as to travel to Washington, to lobby the
National Guard Bureau to assign F-20s specifically to the Ft. Wayne ANG base !
This was highly unusual, and as history shows; the proposal did not come too fruition.
The “tightness” in availability of aircraft to replace retiring ANG assets has continued.
There were not enough A-10s to replace all early block ANG F-16 fighter/bombers being retired, and some units like the 188FS @ Terre Haute ( example ) being steered towards and intelligence/drone mission. Another example: The Air Guard unit @ Springfield Ohio converted from fighter/bombers to a small number of C-27 Spartans.
With regards,
357Mag
