During the Vietnam War, the USAF requested F-5 Freedom Fighters due to the high loss rates of other aircraft in use. The Defense Department originally rejected the proposal but later accepted it in 1965. Codenamed "Skoshi Tiger", the USAF would use 12 F-5A's from the Military Assistance Program (MAP) for performance evaluations. They would eventually receive inflight refueling probes, lead-computing gunsight, significant armour on the belly, and designated as the F-5C Skoshi Tiger. The Skoshi Tiger program would later end with the DoD rejecting a second proposal for more F-5's.

Introduced in Update "Red Skies" as a premium fighter, the F-5C is an excellent fighter. Firstly, the F-5C has access to countermeasures which is incredibly important for its battle rating. Furthermore, the F-5C has a low heat signature which helps against evading IR missiles. The F-5C also can carry two AIM-9E Sidewinders which are decent but players should not rely on them to get kills. The two 20 mm cannons mounted in the nose will be the primary way of downing enemy aircraft along with its excellent performance. Although it can carry bombs, players should stick to using it as a fighter where it shines.