A fleet of 22 former Swiss Air Force Northrop F-5E/F fighters acquired by the U.S. Navy will enter a modification phase to serve as adversary aircraft to train naval and Marine Corps pilots, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) said on July 14. 

NAVAIR completed the engineering phase on June 28 for the modifications required under the Avionics Reconfiguration and Tactical Enhancement/Modernization for Inventory Standardization (Artemis) program. 

The service can now enter the production phase of the roughly $304 million program, with an average unit cost of $13.8 million. 

Tactical Air Support received a $265 million contract in early July to complete the modifications. 

The new configuration includes a new cockpit display, a Martin-Baker Mk16 ejection seat and a modernized radar system. 

The Navy uses F-5Ns and Lockheed Martin F-16Ns for adversary air training.