Hobby Master 1/72 F-5E Aggressor 74-1557 57th FWW 1980

The USAF's 57th Fighter Weapons Wing (57th FWW) operated the Northrop F-5E Tiger II at Nellis AFB, Nevada, during the 1980s as part of its Aggressor program. The lightweight F-5E's small size, high agility, and excellent maneuverability made it an ideal stand-in for Soviet fighters such as the MiG-21. Painted in a variety of striking camouflage schemes that mimicked Warsaw Pact aircraft, the F-5Es provided realistic dissimilar air combat training for USAF, Navy, Marine Corps, and allied fighter crews during exercises including Red Flag. The aircraft played a vital role in refining U.S. air combat tactics throughout the Cold War.