It first entered service in the RCAF in February 1968 in a tactical support role based in Canada (including Bagotville, Québec), with some squadrons based in Europe as part of the Canada’s NATO commitment.
Two hundred and forty were built before it was retired from service in 1995. The museum’s example is a CF-5D, one of forty-six two-seat versions of the CF-5 used for training pilots and in an “aggressor’ role, to mimic Soviet fighter tactics during training exercises.
