The Canadian version (the CF-5) had two major differences from American F-5s: an air to air refuelling probe and a reconnaissance nose that housed four 70 mm cameras.

433 Squadron in Bagotville and 434 Squadron in Cold Lake were equipped with CF-5s in 1969. The CF-5A (single seat fighter version) continued in service as a tactical fighter until 1988, when the CF-18 Hornet replaced it. Canada's Air Force continued to use CF-5s with 419 Squadron in Cold Lake as advanced trainers until 1995.

The two tactical squadrons in Bagotville and Cold Lake, with a few years in Chatham, provided valuable training and support for army formations across Canada. Close Air Support skills were maintained as ground based Tactical Air Control Parties (TACP) vectored CF-5s in on targets in close cooperation with helicopters, artillery and ground movement units. This was a crucial skill required in all NATO combat formations.

Before the Warsaw Pact began to build up its conventional warfare arsenal in the 1970s, NATO's Allied Command Europe (ACE) was concerned that the Soviets might employ smaller conventional operations against their northern and southern flanks. As a result, ACE Mobile Force (Land) and ACE Mobile Force (Air) were formed.

These multinational formations would deploy in the early stages of a crisis to show that NATO was ready to match any Soviet aggression. Two CF-5 Freedom Fighter squadrons (434 Squadron, Cold Lake AB; and 433 Squadron, Bagotville QC) were sent to NATO's northern flank in Norway and Denmark. If war broke out, they were ready to provide close air support to NATO ground troops stemming a Soviet invasion.

The CF-5s of 433 and 434 Squadrons flew a trans-Atlantic flight directly from Canada to Norway in the 1970s and 1980s. This was made possible by air to air refueling using CC-137 tankers.

The CF-5 on display at the museum was built by Canadair in Montreal, Quebec in 1968. A total of 135 CF-5 aircraft were built in Canada of both single-seat and two-seat variants. This aircraft (14707), began service in October 1969 when it arrived at CFB Cold Lake, Alberta from Cartierville, Quebec.

This aircraft was the first single seat version delivered to Cold Lake, and was flown there by Capt. Jake Miller who later became the 434 Squadron solo demo pilot from 1970 to 1974.

The aircraft remained with 434 Squadron at Cold lake until 1977, where after a period of storage at CFB Trenton, it rejoined 434 Squadron at CFB Chatham, NB in 1986, and then returned to Cold Lake in 1988 with 419 Squadron.

In the early 1990's the aircraft received a full Avionics upgrade and became part of the Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment at Cold Lake.

This CF-5 last flew in 1995, one of the last operational CF-5s in the Canadian Air Force. In 1996 the aircraft was put into storage at CFD Mountain View, Ontario, and ten years later it was transported to Calgary, Alberta where it was restored and put on permanent display at The Military Museums in May 2007.

Col Don Matthews (ret’d) of the Air Force Museum Society of Alberta flew this particular CF-5 aircraft on seven occasions at CFB Cold Lake in 1974, 1985 and 1987.