Most of this jet's history comes from the publisher's description of a 24-page monograph about it. A dated photo confirms it in Tigre III form in 2024. Treat the rest as a well-documented lead.
Identity
813 is one of the 15 single-seat F-5Es Chile bought under the Peace Llama program, the jets that started arriving at Cerro Moreno in 1976. It is the subject of a 24-page monograph, Northrop F-5E Tigre II/III 813, published in the Aviation Art & History "Aircraft with History" series. [1] [2]
Recorded history
From 1976
Flies with Grupo de Aviación 7 at Cerro Moreno, Antofagasta, for 34 years. [2]
1978 and 1982
On duty through the crises with Argentina. [2]
Mid-1990s
Rebuilt to Tigre III standard at ENAER by Chilean and Israel Aerospace Industries technicians. [2]
1997
Gains air-to-air refuelling, fitted by specialists from Tiger Century. [2]
Late 1998
Deploys with Grupo 7 to the United States for Red Flag. [2]
2010
Moves with the rest of the fleet to Grupo 12 at Chabunco, Punta Arenas. [2] [4]
April 2024
Shown on static display at the FIDAE air show in Santiago. [3]
Where it fits
813 has served one air force for close to fifty years, which means it has lived the whole Chilean F-5 story told on our Chile profile, from the Atacama Desert to the far south, where Chile says its last Tigers will fly until sometime between 2030 and 2035.
AirHistory.net lists the same conversion number, I.1004, under photos of both 813 (2024) and 803 (2010). One of them is probably a cataloguing slip. Until a primary source settles it, this record goes by the serial painted on the jet: 813.
Last updated
Source and limits
[1] Northrop F-5E Tigre II/III 813, AbeBooks listing (ISBN 9798863730011). [2] Publisher's description of the same monograph. [3] F-5E Tigre III 813 at FIDAE 2024, AirHistory.net. [4] Chabunco Air Base, MigFlug (2026). Also: AirHistory.net airframe page for I.1004. These are a book description and photo-database captions, not official FACh records.