Republic F-105N Thunderchief - 2 Smaldeel, Belgian Air Force, 1975
During early 1961 the new Defence Secretary, Robert S. McNamara, decided to severely cut-back on F-105D production and only equip seven combat wings with the type. The expected total production run of about 1,500 F-105D's was soon reduced to less than one-half of that number. With the end of the Thunderchief production line looming and no follow-on project in the immediate pipeline Republic Aviation quickly proposed a minimum change 'NATO standard' export version of the current F-105D-31RE (designated F-105N - 'N' for NATO) at a competitive price and this soon attracted the attention of several NATO air forces. By March 1963 export orders had by placed by Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Italy and the Netherlands with a slightly modified F-105M version being procured for the West German Marineflieger who had become disenchanted with the F-104G Starfighter.
With the last USAF F-105D's and F-105F's going through the door at Republic's Farmingdale factory production continued with a batch of 200 F-105N's (Block-50RE's) powered by the Pratt & Whitney J75-P19W engine rated at 26,500lbs of thrust and 120 F-105M's.