Iran acquired both the newer F-5A/B Freedom Fighters and the newer F-5E/F Tiger IIs. While the A/B have already been retired, the Tigers are still in service. Iran received 166 F-5E and F-5F fighters, delivered from 1974 onwards. As well as the F-4s, a good number of the F-5s were lost in combat, but the little Tiger is still an important asset for the IRIAF . Around 35 of these fighters remain in service, however, some of these are a little different. It is estimated that nine aircraft are HESA Saeqeh, a version modified and modernized by Iran itself. The most striking detail are the two vertical stabilizers, which supposedly provide more agility to the F-5. Unfortunately, little is known about the upgrade work on the Iranian F-5s, and even less about the real aerodynamic differences between the Saeqeh and the “original Tiger”.
