According to the website of Newsweek on April 9th, the US Marine Corps recently received the first of 22 retired F-5 Tiger fighter jets purchased from the Swiss Air Force, which will be used for training purposes. These jet planes will eventually undergo modifications, and the related work has been described by the military news media Special Operations Forces Reporting Network as a comprehensive modernization plan aimed at transforming them into cutting-edge training opponents. Northrop's F-5 fighter jet is a supersonic light fighter jet developed during the Cold War, but ceased production in 1989. The Marine Corps purchased 22 of these aircraft from Switzerland in 2020 to impersonate enemy jet planes in simulated air combat. According to the Special Operations Forces Reporting Network, more specifically, this batch of F-5 will serve in the Marine Corps' simulated fighter air combat training program, which "trains pilots in a controlled environment by exposing them to real-life combat scenarios with different types of aircraft.". The US Navy Aviation Systems Command announced last week that the first F-5 fighter jet was received at the Navy Air Station in Cecil Field, Florida at the end of March. The Naval Aviation Systems Command stated that the arrival of this aircraft is a milestone in several months of engineering and maintenance work. Captain Greg Sutton, Project Manager of the Office of Specialization and Verified Aircraft Programs at the Naval Aviation Systems Command, talked about the important role that the Marine Corps expects the aircraft to play. Sutton said in a statement, "The expansion of the F-5 fighter jet program can ensure the success of future Navy and Marine Corps pilot training." The Special Operations Forces Reporting Network stated that these fighter jets will be reconfigured using standardized avionics equipment from the US military's inventory. "In addition, the plan also includes a key upgrade - the installation of modern avionics and a new glass cockpit." According to a report by the Special Operations Forces Reporting Network, this "advanced" technology will enable Marine Corps pilots to have more situational awareness in the cockpit and "strengthen pilot control over modern F-5 fighters during training.". The first modified F-5 fighter jet is expected to be ready for training in early 2025. Eleven F-5 fighter jets are planned to simulate fighter air combat training programs, while other F-5 fighter jets may be used as spare parts to ensure the operation of the F-5 Tiger fighter training fleet. (Lai Xin She)