Originally, the Sabre was designed as a high altitude fighter jet but was redesigned into a interception jet (F-86F) and fighter jet/bomber F-86H. Between 1947 and 1957 have more than 9800 F-86's been produced for the United States Air Force, United Kingdom, West-Germany, Japan and more countries.

A few time after, North American Aviation was awarded by the USAF for the delivery of a new fighter jet. The first (F-86A Sabre) was delivered to the USAF in 1948. It came operational in 1950 where it played a important role during the North-Korean MiG-15s.

The Sabre jets were mostly flown by veterans from world war II and the MiG-15 by Russian veterans. Later during the war, the USAF replaced the sabre by the F-86F, F-80 and F-51. About 792 MiG-15 jets have been shot down by American pilots with a lost of 76 Sabres. With this rate of 1:10 belongs the F-86 to one of the best USAF fighter jets.
F-86F Sabre in former service with the USAFE 32nd squadron, deployed from 1954-1956 on the Dutch AFB Soesterberg