The F-5E/F Tiger II was a follow-on upgrade to the wildly successful
F-5 Freedom Fighter, a low-budget aircraft designed to capture the lower
tier of the non-Soviet global fighter market in the 1960s and 1970s. A
number of countries still operate F-5s, but the airframes are very old.
While F-5 owners like Brazil, Chile, Thailand, et. al. have opted for
comprehensive refurbishment and upgrades, Switzerland is looking to
replace 3 of its 5 Tiger II squadrons with new aircraft under its
Tiger-Teilersatz TTE program. The new fighters will partner with the 3
squadrons of upgraded F/A-18C/D Hornets that make up the rest of its fighter fleet.
An initial evaluation RFP was issued to 4 contenders, but Boeing’s withdrawal narrowed the selection to Sweden’s Gripen, France’s Rafale, or EADS’ Eurofighter Typhoon.
A 2010 suspension of the competition was followed by a measured
revival, thanks to the latest budgets – and now, by a provisional
winner. No
matter who won, though, left-wing opponents of Switzerland’s
military would be working hard to derail the purchase. It’s likely to
face a national referendum, just like the 1993 F/A-18 Hornet sale. After
the current controversy over fighter evaluations runs its course:
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