F-20A Tigershark
Aircraft role	Fighter
Manufacturer	Northrop
Real-world origin	United States of America
AC installments	Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War
Primary operator	Unknown
Secondary operators	Belka (BAF) Yuktobania (YAF) Osea (OADF) Ustio (UAF)
Plane variant(s)	X-29A
[Source]

The Northrop F-20A Tigershark, original codename F-5G is an experimental variant of the F-5E Tiger II. The aircraft, whose development began in 1975, incorporates updated avionics/radar and a newer single engine, stronger than the Tiger II's weaker twin-engine.

Ace Combat 5: The Unsung WarEdit

In Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War, the F-20A Tigershark is a Fighter-class aircraft. It is the second aircraft of the F-5 family, and must be unlocked by filling the Tiger II's Kill Rate Gauge (60,800 pts.) Filling the F-20A's Gauge, in turn, unlocks the final aircraft of the family, the X-29A. Once unlocked, it can be bought for 11,900 credits.

The Tigershark, from a performance point of view, is superior to the F-5E, possessing an overall statistics increase. Air-to-Air makes a significant jump from 22 to 60, while speed, mobility and defense see an slight yet important upgrade. Stability remains unchanged, while Air-to-Ground drops from 47 to 25. SAAMs replace Unguided Bombs as the plane's special weapon, thus increasing its dogfighting potential.

Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan WarEdit

In Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War, the F-20A Tigershark is a Fighter-class aircraft. It is used by a number of aces of the Belkan Air Force in the first half of the game: Anwalt in mission #05, the Vampir Squadron in mission #07 and Falter in #08.

It is unlocked by completing mission #04B, "Juggernaut - Op. Round Hammer". It can bought for 33,000 credits. Its special weapons arsenal includes 10 SAAMs, 8 Guided Penetration Bombs and 12 XAGMs, providing the aircraft with relatively balanced multi-role capabilities.

TriviaEdit

• The Ace Combat ZERO F-20A's Knight SP Scheme is an exact replica of the paintjob used in the F-20A of Shin Kazama, the main character of the famed anime franchise Area 88, which served as an inspiration for the Ace Combat series.