The F-20 Tigershark was a low-cost fighter meant for export, but it failed due to the U.S. eventually making the F-16 and F/A-18 available to other nations.
When it comes to the United States’ most impressive fighter jets, most are familiar with them even if they’re not affiliated with the military. That’s because aircraft like the stealthiest fighter ever built, the F-22 Raptor, get a lot of press, as do older platforms like the F-16 Fighting Falcon. One fighter jet that most folks have likely never heard of is the F-20 Tigershark, which never made it out of the prototype stage, though three were built.
The F-20 Tigershark originated from the F-X project under President Jimmy Carter’s administration, aiming to develop a relatively inexpensive fighter that could challenge the Soviet Union’s best aircraft of the day. Ideally, any fighters produced under the program would fall between the F-5E Tiger, which is still in service today, and the ever-evolving F-16A Fighting Falcon in terms of capabilities. F-X aircraft didn’t use sensitive technology, primarily relying on off-the-shelf products. The result was the F-20, which boasted impressive capabilities despite lacking more advanced technology.
The F-20 Tigershark was planned for export, so it wouldn’t have flown for the U.S. had it been put into full-scale production. But it never did, largely due to the prevailing political climate at the time. While the Cold War-era F-20 boasted impressive capabilities at a low cost, the U.S. eventually relaxed exports of the F-15 and F/A-18, which ultimately ended the F-20 program.
