United States Navy dropping bombs over Vietnam, 25 November 1971 On 30 December 1960,
VF-121 Pacemakers at NAS Miramar became the first Phantom operator with its F4H-1Fs (F-4As). The
VF-74 Be-devilers at
NAS Oceana became the first deployable Phantom squadron when it received its F4H-1s (F-4Bs) on 8 July 1961. The squadron completed carrier qualifications in October 1961 and Phantom's first full carrier deployment between August 1962 and March 1963 aboard . The second deployable
U.S. Atlantic Fleet squadron to receive F-4Bs was the
VF-102 Diamondbacks, who promptly took their new aircraft on the
shakedown cruise of . The first deployable
U.S. Pacific Fleet squadron to receive the F-4B was the
VF-114 Aardvarks, which participated in the September 1962 cruise aboard . Navy fighter pilots were unused to flying with a non-pilot RIO, but learned from air combat in Vietnam the benefits of the GiB "guy in back" or "voice in the luggage compartment" helping with the workload. The first Phantom air-to-air victory of the war took place on 9 April 1965 when an F-4B from
VF-96 Fighting Falcons piloted by Lieutenant (junior grade) Terence M. Murphy and his RIO, Ensign Ronald Fegan, shot down a Chinese MiG-17. The Phantom was then shot down, probably by an AIM-7 Sparrow from one of its wingmen. On 17 June 1965, an F-4B from
VF-21 Freelancers piloted by Commander Louis Page and Lieutenant John C. Smith shot down the first North Vietnamese MiG of the war. On 10 May 1972, Lieutenant
Randy "Duke" Cunningham and Lieutenant (junior grade)
William P. Driscoll flying an F-4J,
call sign Showtime 100, shot down three MiG-17s to become the first American
flying aces of the war. Their fifth victory was believed at the time to be over a mysterious North Vietnamese ace, Colonel
Nguyen Toon, now considered mythical. On the return flight, the Phantom was damaged by an enemy surface-to-air missile. To avoid being captured, Cunningham and Driscoll flew their burning aircraft using only the rudder and afterburner (the damage to the aircraft rendered conventional control nearly impossible), until they could eject over water. flew the F-4J from 1969 to 1974 During the war, U.S. Navy F-4 Phantom squadrons participated in 84 combat tours with F-4Bs, F-4Js, and F-4Ns. The Navy claimed 40 air-to-air victories at a cost of 73 Phantoms lost in combat (seven to enemy aircraft, 13 to SAMs and 53 to
AAA). An additional 54 Phantoms were lost in mishaps. In 1984, all Navy F-4Ns were retired from Fleet service in deployable USN squadrons and by 1987 the last F-4Ss were retired from deployable USN squadrons. On 25 March 1986, an F-4S belonging to the
VF-151 Vigilantes, became the last active duty U.S. Navy Phantom to launch from an aircraft carrier, in this case,
Midway. On 18 October 1986, an F-4S from the
VF-202 Superheats, a
Naval Reserve fighter squadron, made the last-ever Phantom carrier landing while operating aboard . In 1987, the last of the Naval Reserve-operated F-4S aircraft were replaced by F-14As. The last Phantoms in service with the Navy were QF-4N and QF-4S target drones operated by the
Naval Air Warfare Center at
NAS Point Mugu, California.
United States Marine Corps , flies over
South Vietnam in September 1968 The Marine Corps received its first F-4Bs in June 1962, with the
Black Knights of
VMFA-314 at
Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California becoming the first operational squadron. Marine Phantoms of
VMFA-323, flying from
Puerto Rico, provided air cover during
Operation Power Pack for the evacuation of US citizens from the
Dominican Republic and assisted the
508th Infantry Regiment in taking and securing a position east of the Duarte bridge. Marine Phantoms from
VMFA-531 Grey Ghosts were assigned to
Da Nang Air Base on
South Vietnam's northeast coast on 10 May 1965 and were initially assigned to provide air defense for the USMC. They soon began close air support missions (CAS) and VMFA-314,
VMFA-232 Red Devils,
VMFA-323 Death Rattlers and
VMFA-542 Tigers joined them. Marine Phantoms from
VMFA-323 and
VMFA-531 operating from the participated in
Operation Eagle Claw, the attempted rescue of
American hostages from Iran, with orders to shoot down any Iranian aircraft. The Phantoms were painted with an orange stripe enclosed by two black stripes in order to distinguish the American F-4s from the Iranian F-4s. The operation was called off in the early stages of execution. The
VMCJ-1 Golden Hawks (later
VMAQ-1 and
VMAQ-4 which had the old RM tailcode) flew the first photo recon mission with an RF-4B variant on 3 November 1966 from Da Nang and remained there until 1970 with no RF-4B losses and only one aircraft damaged by anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) fire.
VMCJ-2 and VMCJ-3 (now
VMAQ-3) provided aircraft for VMCJ-1 in Da Nang and
VMFP-3 was formed in 1975 at
MCAS El Toro, CA consolidating all USMC RF-4Bs in one unit that became known as "The Eyes of the Corps." VMFP-3 disestablished in August 1990 after the
Advanced Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance System was introduced for the
F/A-18D Hornet.
United States Air Force In USAF service, the F-4 was initially designated the F-110A prior to the introduction of the 1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system. The USAF quickly embraced the design and became the largest Phantom user. The first Phantoms that the USAF operated were F-4Bs loaned from the Navy, with 27 jets delivered to the 4453rd Combat Crew Training Wing at
MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, in November 1963. The first operational unit was the
12th Tactical Fighter Wing, who received the USAF's first F-4Cs in January 1964, achieving initial operational capability (IOC) in October 1964. The first USAF Phantoms to participate in the
Vietnam War were F-4Cs from the
45th Tactical Fighter Squadron, who deployed to
Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, in April 1965. Unlike the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps, which flew the Phantom with a
Naval Aviator (pilot) in the front seat and a
naval flight officer as a radar intercept officer (RIO) in the back seat, the USAF initially flew its Phantoms with a rated
Air Force Pilot in front and back seats. Pilots usually did not like flying in the back seat; while the GIB, or "guy in back", could fly and ostensibly land the aircraft, he had fewer flight instruments and a very restricted forward view. The Air Force later assigned a rated
Air Force Navigator qualified as a weapon/targeting systems officer (later designated as
weapon systems officer or WSO) in the rear seat instead of another pilot. On 10 July 1965, F-4Cs of the 45th TFS, 15th TFW, scored the USAF's first victories against
North Vietnamese
MiG-17s using
AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. On 26 April 1966, an F-4C from the
480th Tactical Fighter Squadron scored the first aerial victory by a U.S. aircrew over a North Vietnamese
MiG-21 "Fishbed". On 24 July 1965, another Phantom from the 45th Tactical Fighter Squadron became the first American aircraft to be downed by an enemy
SAM, and on 5 October 1966 an
8th Tactical Fighter Wing F-4C became the first U.S. jet lost to an air-to-air missile, fired by a MiG-21. On 2 January 1967, F-4Cs of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, under the command of
Robin Olds, executed
Operation Bolo, a response to heavy losses sustained during
Operation Rolling Thunder. Olds' and his flight flew out of Ubon in Thailand and simulated an F-105 strike force. In response, the
VPAF sent up MiG-21s to shoot down the Phantoms. The ensuing battle resulted in the VPAF losing half of their MiG-21 fleet with no losses from the American side. Early aircraft suffered from leaks in wing fuel tanks that required re-sealing after each flight and 85 aircraft were found to have cracks in outer wing ribs and stringers. From the initial deployment of the F-4C to Southeast Asia, USAF Phantoms performed both air superiority and ground attack roles, supporting not only ground troops in South Vietnam, but also conducting bombing sorties in Laos and North Vietnam. As the
F-105 force underwent severe attrition between 1965 and 1968, the bombing role of the F-4 proportionately increased until after November 1970 (when the last F-105D was withdrawn from combat) it became the primary USAF tactical ordnance delivery system. In October 1972 the first squadron of EF-4C
Wild Weasel aircraft deployed to Thailand on temporary duty. The "E" prefix was later dropped and the aircraft was simply known as the F-4C Wild Weasel. Sixteen squadrons of Phantoms were permanently deployed to Indochina between 1965 and 1973, and 17 others deployed on temporary combat assignments. Peak numbers of combat F-4s occurred in 1972, when 353 were based in Thailand. and of the 83 losses, 72 were in combat including 38 over North Vietnam (seven to SAMs and 65 to AAA). By war's end, the U.S. Air Force had lost a total of 528 F-4 and RF-4C Phantoms. When combined with U.S. Navy and Marine Corps losses of 233 Phantoms, 761 F-4/RF-4 Phantoms were lost in the Vietnam War. On 28 August 1972, Captain
Steve Ritchie became the first USAF ace of the war. On 9 September 1972, WSO Capt
Charles B. DeBellevue became the highest-scoring American ace of the war with six victories. Upon return to the United States, DeBellevue and Feinstein were assigned to undergraduate pilot training (Feinstein was given a vision waiver) and requalified as USAF pilots in the F-4. USAF F-4C/D/E crews claimed 107.5 MiG kills in Southeast Asia (50 by Sparrow, 31 by Sidewinder, five by Falcon, 15.5 by gun, and six by other means). Phantoms would eventually equip numerous tactical fighter and tactical reconnaissance units in the USAF active, ANG, and
Air Force Reserve (AFRES). On 2 June 1972, a Phantom flying at supersonic speed shot down a
MiG-19 over
Thud Ridge in Vietnam with its cannon. At a recorded speed of Mach 1.2, Major Phil Handley's shoot down was the first and only recorded gun kill while flying at supersonic speeds. In early December 1989, USAF F-4s, from
Clark Air Base, participated in Operation Classic Resolve, President
George H. W. Bush's response to the
1989 Philippine coup attempt. The F-4s were ordered to buzz the rebel planes at their base, fire at them if any tried to take off, and shoot them down if they did. The buzzing by the US F-4s soon caused the coup to collapse. On 2 December, President Bush reported that on 1 December, US fighter aircraft from Clark Air Base assisted Philippine President
Corazon Aquino's government repel a coup attempt. On 15 August 1990, 24 F-4G Wild Weasel Vs and six RF-4Cs were deployed to
Isa Air Base,
Bahrain, for
Operation Desert Storm. The F-4G was the only aircraft in the USAF inventory equipped for the
Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses role, and was needed to protect coalition aircraft from Iraq's extensive air defense system. The RF-4C was the only aircraft equipped with the ultra-long-range KS-127 LOROP (long-range oblique photography) camera and was used for a variety of reconnaissance missions. In spite of flying almost daily missions, only one RF-4C was lost in a fatal accident before the start of hostilities. One F-4G was lost when enemy fire damaged the fuel tanks and the aircraft ran out of fuel near a friendly airbase. The last USAF Phantoms, F-4G Wild Weasel Vs from
561st Fighter Squadron, were retired on 26 March 1996. The last operational flight of the F-4G Wild Weasel was from the
190th Fighter Squadron,
Idaho Air National Guard, in April 1996.
Target drone Like the Navy, the Air Force also operated QF-4 target drones, serving with the
82d Aerial Targets Squadron at
Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, and
Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. Replacing the QF-106, the QF-4 program achieved IOC in 1997, with the last QF-106 being shot down on 20 February 1997. It was expected that the F-4 would remain in the target role with the 82d ATRS until at least 2015, when they would be replaced by early versions of the
F-16 Fighting Falcon converted to a QF-16 configuration. On 19 November 2013, BAE Systems delivered its 314th, and last, QF-4 aerial target to the Air Force. Over 16 years, BAE had converted 314 F-4 and RF-4 Phantom IIs into QF-4s and QRF-4s, with each aircraft taking six months to adapt. The first QF-16 was delivered to Tyndall AFB in September 2014, achieving IOC on 23 September 2015. The final flight of an Air Force QF-4 from Tyndall AFB took place on 27 May 2015 to Holloman AFB. After Tyndall AFB ceased operations, the
53d Weapons Evaluation Group at Holloman became the fleet of 22 QF-4s' last remaining operator. The base continued using them to fly manned test and unmanned live fire test support and
Foreign Military Sales testing. The final unmanned flight took place on 17 August 2016, with QF-4E
72-0166 being fired upon by a
Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II before returning safely back to Holloman AFB. The type was officially retired from US military service with a four–ship flight at Holloman during an event on 21 December 2016. The last 13 QF-4s were stripped of their systems after 1 January 2017 and transferred to the
White Sands Missile Range to be used as static targets. During its career as a target drone, several QF-4s retained the capability to be flown as a manned aircraft and were maintained in historical color schemes, being displayed as part of Air Combat Command's Heritage Flight at air shows, base open houses, and other events while serving as non-expendable target aircraft during the week.
Aerial combat in the Vietnam War The USAF and the US Navy had high expectations of the F-4 Phantom, assuming that the massive firepower, the best available on-board radar, the highest speed and acceleration properties, coupled with new tactics, would provide Phantoms with an advantage over the MiGs. However, in confrontations with the lighter MiG-21, F-4s did not always succeed and began to suffer losses. Over the course of the air war in Vietnam, between 3 April 1965 and 8 January 1973, each side would ultimately claim favorable kill ratios. During the war, U.S. Navy F-4 Phantoms claimed 40 air-to-air victories at a loss of seven Phantoms to enemy aircraft. During the war, the VPAF lost 131 MiGs in air combat (63 MiG-17s, eight MiG-19s and 60 MiG-21s) of which one half were by F-4s. From 1966 to November 1968, in 46 air battles conducted over North Vietnam between F-4s and MiG-21s, VPAF claimed 27 F-4s were shot down by MiG-21s at a cost of 20 MiG-21s The struggle culminated on 10 May 1972, with VPAF aircraft completing 64 sorties, resulting in 15 air battles. The VPAF claimed seven F-4s were shot down, while U.S. confirmed five F-4s were lost. On 11 May, two MiG-21s, which played the role of "bait", brought the four F-4s to two MiG-21s circling at low altitude. The MiGs quickly engaged and shot down two F-4s. On 18 May, Vietnamese aircraft made 26 sorties in eight air engagements, which cost 4 F-4 Phantoms; Vietnamese fighters on that day did not suffer losses.
Non-U.S. users The Phantom has served with the air forces of many countries, including
Australia,
Egypt,
Germany,
United Kingdom,
Greece,
Iran,
Israel,
Japan,
Spain,
South Korea and
Turkey.
Australia The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) leased 24 USAF F-4Es from 1970 to 1973 while waiting for their order for the
General Dynamics F-111C to be delivered. They were so well-liked that the RAAF considered retaining the aircraft after the F-111Cs were delivered. They were operated from
RAAF Amberley by
No. 1 Squadron and
No. 6 Squadron.
Egypt In 1979, the Egyptian Air Force purchased 35 former USAF F-4Es along with a number of Sparrow, Sidewinder and Maverick missiles from the U.S. for $594 million as part of the "Peace Pharaoh" program. An additional seven surplus USAF aircraft were purchased in 1988. Three attrition replacements had been received by the end of the 1990s.
Germany , 21 January 1998 The
West German Air Force (
Luftwaffe) found itself in need of numerous new aircraft following the December 1967 publication of
NATO's new flexible response doctrine. With the move back towards fighting a conventional war in Europe, there was a need for both far more capable
photoreconnaissance and fighter aircraft, with the
RF-104G and F-104G fleets respectively being considered obsolescent due to their inability to operate in bad weather, at night, and in the latter's case, its performance being deemed insufficient for the air defense and air superiority missions against the MiG-21 that was fielded en masse by
Warsaw Pact air forces. These new aircraft would need to enter service relatively quickly as well, with age and fatigue rates putting Luftwaffe strength below the required numbers by 1976. However, with the ongoing development of the
Panavia Tornado there was insufficient capital to design new aircraft for these roles, and thus foreign models would have to be procured.
Reconnaissance role The photoreconnaissance aircraft selection pool was relatively small to start with, consisting of the
Canadair CF-5A(R),
Mirage IIIR,
Saab S 35E, Lockheed RTF-104G, and McDonnell Douglas RF-4E. The competition came down to the RTF-104G and RF-4E, the former being a heavily modified phtoreconnaissance variant of the TF-104G and the latter an F-4E based equivalent to the USAF's own RF-4C intended for export customers. As the RTF-104G could still reuse most existing infrastructure at bases operating RF-104Gs while RF-4Es could not, the latter had a substantially higher unit price - 23 million
Deutsche Marks for an RF-4E compared to 8 million DM for an RTF-104G. The latter was also considered slightly more modern, and could be built under license on the existing F-104G production line at
Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB), meaning most of the money would be kept in West Germany. However, the safety and power advantages of the Phantom were viewed very favorably - the USAF had experienced loss rates of 9 F-4 versus 25 F-104 for every 100,000 flight hours, and West German experience with the F-104 platform was marred with crashes. Another factor in the Phantom's favor was industrial offsets, as West Germany had set aside 3 billion DM to purchase defense equipment from the U.S. which could be used outside of the normal defense budget to fund this acquisition. In 1969, the
German Defense Ministry decided to procure 88 RF-4Es, with the contract costing 2.052 billion DM. While not manufactured in West Germany, their construction was not wholly American. Companies like MBB produced stabilizers, landing gear doors, outer wings, and ailerons which were then shipped to McDonnell Douglas's
St. Louis factory for final assembly. The RF-4E first flew on 15 September 1970, and the West Germans took delivery of their first four aircraft at Bremgarten AB on 20 January 1971. To act as flight instructors, nine pilots and nine navigators were sent to
Shaw AFB between 22 January 1970 and 5 May 1971 to attend eight to nine month long training courses on the RF-4C. 108 pilots were trained at
George AFB between 10 October 1970 and 4 February 1972 for five week flight training courses. These pilots had to receive sensor training from the aforementioned flight instructors after returning to their units in West Germany. With the lethality of Warsaw Pact air defenses increasing along with the strength of their conventional ground forces over the course of the 1970s, in 1978 it was decided to simultaneously retrofit the aircraft for a secondary ground attack role using the same equipment as the F-4F, and to improve their self-defense capabilities by fitting improved flare and chaff systems and a more capable
radar warning receiver. New
infrared cameras were also fitted for improved reconnaissance capabilities. 71 aircraft were again upgraded in the mid 1980's, as planners saw no replacement for the type available before 2005. These included an increase in maximum flight hours for 4,500 to 8,000 per airframe, the installation of a laser and
GPS navigation system, a new
AN/APQ-172 terrain following radar, and integration for the new AIM-9L Sidewinder. However, after
German reunification and the end of the Cold War, there was a sharp drawdown in military spending. 27 RF-4Es were sold to the
Greek Air Force, of which seven were spares. Another 46 were sold to the
Turkish Air Force - 33 operational aircraft and 13 spares. The Luftwaffe retired the type in 1994, and the last example was handed over to the Museum of the Luftwaffe on 23 November 2003.
Fighter role aerial combat engagement pilot training film reel. The fighter contract was designed to prevent the loss rates that had plagued F-104 in Luftwaffe service from repeating. Two of the key requirements in the new fighter program were an all-weather navigation system and two engines. The competition also featured a greater variety of contestants, with the
SEPECAT Jaguar,
Saab Viggen,
Dassault Mirage F1,
Northrop F-5,
Northrop P-530, and McDonnell Douglas F-4F all being offered. With RF-4E already being adopted, combined with F-4F's advantages in range and weapons load, it was the declared the winner and an order for 175 aircraft placed on 24 June 1971 under the "Peace Rhine" program, with a unit price of approximately 12 million DM. The “F” variant was a simplified version of the “E”, designed for maximum compatibility with RF-4E. The aircraft was roughly lighter, lacking the
ram air turbine, rear fuselage fuel tank, slatted stabilizers, and ability to use AIM-7 Sparrow. However, these weight reductions combined with the leading edge slats that were not present on RF-4E made F-4F markedly more maneuverable, especially at low speeds. All but the first F-4F incorporated West German built subcomponents in the same manner as their RF-4Es. All F-4Fs were delivered between 1973 and 1976. These purchases made Germany the largest export customer for the Phantom. The F-4F first flew on 18 March 1973, and was publicly unveiled on 24 May of the same year. Shortly thereafter, the first 12 aircraft were delivered to
George AFB in cooperation with the
35th Tactical Fighter Wing to stand up an
operational conversion unit, with pilots of
Jagdgeschwader 71 (Fighter Wing 71) arriving on 1 January 1974 to begin training. Due to the urgent need for the aircraft in frontline service, West Germany replaced these F-4Fs with 10 new F-4Es in 1975, which were permanently stationed in the U.S. for training until their retirement in 1997. A single F-4F was kept in the U.S. on loan to
U.S. Air Force Systems Command until 1982 under the designation NTF-4F, which was used as a testbed for new technologies in the aircraft. The F-4F was upgraded in the mid-1980s to use more capable ordnance that was being introduced by the U.S. in light of new capabilities introduced by the Warsaw Pact militaries. These alterations included a new digital weapons computer, altering the radar to allow for bombing through cloud cover, a HUD, and integration of the AIM-9L Sidewinder and
AGM-65B Maverick. The droptank was replaced with a lower drag model used by F-15C, and both the radar warning receiver and jamming pods were upgraded. The chaff/flare dispensers were also replaced with more capable models. Much as the Warsaw Pact's improving conventional strengths had seen a need for a more capable reconnaissance aircraft, the increasing lethality of air defenses and aircraft saw a similar need for more capable fighters. While procurement of the
Tornado ADV was considered, it was decided against in favor of upgrading the F-4F fleet. The program, known as Improved Combat Efficiency (ICE) or Kampfwertsteigerung (KWS) began in 1983 and sought to fit the aircraft with substantially improved air to air and air to ground weapons, including
beyond-visual-range missiles and
standoff weapons To start, the 153 F-4Fs in frontline service all received modest upgrades known as KWS-LA (ground attack, luftangriff), including a laser navigation system and structural upgrades to extend maximum flight hours from 4,000 to 6,500 per airframe. 110 of these were further upgraded under KWS-LV (air defense, luftverteidigung) with the
AN/APG-65GY radar, a new mission computer, and compatibility with
AIM-120 AMRAAM. The KWS-LV F-4Fs entered service in 1992, All the remaining Luftwaffe Phantoms were based at Wittmund with
Jagdgeschwader 71 in Northern Germany and
WTD61 at
Manching. A total of 24 F-4Fs were operated by the
49th Tactical Fighter Wing of the USAF at
Holloman AFB to train Luftwaffe crews until December 2004. Phantoms were deployed to NATO states under the
Baltic Air Policing starting in 2005, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012. The German Air Force retired its last F-4Fs on 29 June 2013. German F-4Fs flew 279,000 hours from entering service on 31 August 1973 until retirement.
Greece In 1972, the
Hellenic Air Force signed a contract for 36 brand new F-4E Phantoms, with deliveries starting in 1974. In the early 1990s, the Hellenic AF acquired surplus RF-4Es and F-4Es from the
Luftwaffe and U.S. ANG. Following the success of the German ICE program, on 11 August 1997, a contract was signed between
DASA of Germany and
Hellenic Aerospace Industry for the upgrade of 39 aircraft to the very similar "Peace Icarus 2000" standard.
Iran In the 1960s and 1970s when the U.S. and Iran were on friendly terms, the U.S. delivered 225 F-4D, F-4E, and RF-4E Phantoms to Iran, making it the second largest export customer. The Imperial Iranian Air Force saw at least one engagement, resulting in a loss, after an RF-4C was rammed by a Soviet MiG-21 during
Project Dark Gene, an ELINT operation during the Cold War. The
Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force Phantoms saw heavy action in the
Iran–Iraq War in the 1980s and were kept operational by overhaul and servicing from Iran's aerospace industry. Notable operations of Iranian F-4s during the war included
Operation Scorch Sword, an attack by two F-4s against the Iraqi Osirak nuclear reactor site near Baghdad on 30 September 1980, and the
attack on H3, a 4 April 1981 strike by eight Iranian F-4s against the
H-3 complex of air bases in the far west of Iraq, which resulted in many Iraqi aircraft being destroyed or damaged for no Iranian losses.
On 5 June 1984, two Saudi Arabian fighter pilots shot down two Iranian F-4 fighters. The
Royal Saudi Air Force pilots were flying American-built F-15s and fired air-to-air missiles to bring down the Iranian planes. The Saudi fighter pilots had
Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker planes and
Boeing E-3 Sentry AWACS surveillance planes assist in the encounter. The aerial fight occurred in Saudi airspace over the Persian Gulf near the Saudi island Al Arabiyah, about 60 miles northeast of Jubail. Iranian F-4s were in use as of late 2014; the aircraft reportedly conducted air strikes on
ISIS targets in the eastern Iraqi province of Diyala. At the
2024 Kish Air Show, three F-4Es from the 91st Tactical Combat Squadron, operating out of their home base in
Bandar Abbas, performed formation and solo flyovers. On 1 March 2026, F-4s were targeted by Israeli and American forces during the
2026 Iran conflict, with at least one F-4 claimed destroyed in an air strike in
Tabriz.
Israel in October 1973 The
Israeli Air Force acquired between 212 and 222 newly built and ex-USAF aircraft, and modified several as one-off special reconnaissance variants. The first F-4Es, nicknamed "
Kurnass" (Sledgehammer), and RF-4Es, nicknamed "
Orev" (Raven), were delivered in 1969 under the "Peace Echo I" program. Additional Phantoms arrived during the 1970s under "Peace Echo II" through "Peace Echo V" and "
Nickel Grass" programs. Israeli Phantoms saw extensive combat during
Arab–Israeli conflicts, first seeing action during the
War of Attrition. In the 1980s, Israel began the "Kurnass 2000" modernization program which significantly updated avionics.
Japan From 1968, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) purchased a total of 140 F-4EJ Phantoms without aerial refueling,
AGM-12 Bullpup missile system, nuclear control system or ground attack capabilities. Mitsubishi built 138 under license in Japan and 14 unarmed reconnaissance RF-4Es were imported. One of the aircraft (
17-8440) was the last of the 5,195 F-4 Phantoms to be produced. It was manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries on 21 May 1981. "The Final Phantom" served with
306th Tactical Fighter Squadron and later transferred to the
301st Tactical Fighter Squadron. Of these, 96 F-4EJs were modified to the F-4EJ standard. 15 F-4EJ and F-4EJ
Kai were converted to reconnaissance aircraft designated RF-4EJ. Japan had a fleet of 90 F-4s in service in 2007. After studying several replacement fighters the
F-35A Lightning II was chosen in 2011. The
302nd Tactical Fighter Squadron became the first JASDF F-35 Squadron at
Misawa Air Base when it converted from the F-4EJ
Kai on 29 March 2019. The JASDF's sole aerial reconnaissance unit, the
501st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, retired their RF-4Es and RF-4EJs on 9 March 2020, and the unit itself dissolved on 26 March. The 301st Tactical Fighter Squadron then became the sole user of the F-4EJ in the Air Defense Command, with their retirement originally scheduled in 2021 along with the unit's transition to the F-35A. However, on 20 November 2020, the 301st Tactical Fighter Squadron announced the earlier retirement of their remaining F-4EJs, concluding the Phantom's long-running career in the JASDF Air Defense Command. Although retirement was announced, the 301st TFS continued operations up until 10 December 2020, with the squadron's Phantoms being decommissioned on 14 December. Two F-4EJs and a F-4EJ
Kai continued to be operated by the
Air Development and Test Wing in
Gifu Prefecture until their retirement on 17 March 2021, marking an end of Phantom operations in Japan.
South Korea The
Republic of Korea Air Force received its first batch of used USAF F-4D Phantoms in 1969 under the "Peace Spectator" program. The F-4Ds continued to be delivered until 1988. The "Peace Pheasant II" program also provided new-built and former USAF F-4Es. In 1975, South Korea fundraised to buy five new F-4 Phantoms with the money donated from South Korean citizens in a national fundraising drive set up to buy the jets (a necessity at the time as South Korea was a poor country and in the aftermath of the
Korean War, needed the extra jets to defend against North Korea which had a larger air force back then). In total, the ROKAF operated 92 F-4Ds, 27 RF-4Cs, and 103 F-4Es. The last ROKAF F-4Es were retired on 7 June 2024.
Turkey takes off from Third Air Force Base
Konya, Turkey, during
Exercise Anatolian Eagle. The
Turkish Air Force (TAF) received 40 F-4Es in 1974, with a further 32 F-4Es and 8 RF-4Es in 1977–78 under the "Peace Diamond III" program, followed by 40 ex-USAF aircraft in "Peace Diamond IV" in 1987, and a further 40 ex-U.S. Air National Guard Aircraft in 1991. A further 32 RF-4Es were transferred to Turkey after being retired by the Luftwaffe between 1992 and 1994. On 22 June 2012, a Turkish RF-4E was shot down by Syrian air defenses while flying a reconnaissance flight near the Turkish-Syrian border. Turkey has stated the reconnaissance aircraft was in international
airspace when it was
shot down, while Syrian authorities stated it was inside Syrian airspace. Turkish F-4s remained in use as of 2020, and it plans to fly them at least until 2030. On 24 February 2015, two RF-4Es crashed in the Malatya region in southeastern Turkey under unknown circumstances, killing both crewmembers of each aircraft. On 5 March 2015, an F-4E-2020 crashed in
central Anatolia killing both crew. After the recent accidents, the TAF withdrew RF-4Es from active service. Turkey was reported to have used F-4 jets to attack PKK separatists and the ISIS capital on 19 September 2015. The Turkish Air Force has reportedly used the F-4E 2020s against the more recent
Third Phase of the PKK conflict on heavy bombardment missions into Iraq on 15 November 2015, 12 January 2016, and 12 March 2016.
United Kingdom The United Kingdom bought versions based on the U.S. Navy's F-4J for use with the
Royal Air Force and the
Royal Navy's
Fleet Air Arm. The UK was the only country outside the United States to operate the Phantom at sea, with them operating from . The main differences were the use of the British
Rolls-Royce Spey engines and of British-made avionics. The RN and RAF versions were given the designation F-4K and F-4M respectively, and entered service with the
British military aircraft designations Phantom FG.1 (fighter/ground attack) and Phantom FGR.2 (fighter/ground attack/reconnaissance). Initially, the FGR.2 was used in the ground attack and reconnaissance role, primarily with
RAF Germany, while
43 Squadron was formed in the air defense role using the FG.1s that had been intended for the Fleet Air Arm for use aboard . The superiority of the Phantom over the
English Electric Lightning in terms of both range and weapons system capability, combined with the successful introduction of the
SEPECAT Jaguar, meant that, during the mid-1970s, most of the ground attack Phantoms in Germany were redeployed to the UK to replace air defense Lightning squadrons. A second RAF squadron,
111 Squadron, was formed on the FG.1 in 1979 after the disbandment of
892 NAS. In 1982, during the
Falklands War, three Phantom FGR2s of
No. 29 Squadron were on active Quick Reaction Alert duty on
Ascension Island to protect the base from air attack. After the Falklands War, 15 upgraded ex-USN F-4Js, known as the F-4J(UK) entered RAF service to compensate for one interceptor squadron redeployed to the Falklands. The interceptor Phantoms were replaced by the
Panavia Tornado F3 from the late 1980s onwards. Originally to be used until 2003, it was set back to 1992
due to restructuring of the British Armed Forces and the last combat British Phantoms were retired in October 1992 when
No. 74(F) Squadron was disbanded.
Civilian use In 1988, Sandia National Laboratories mounted an F-4 on a "rocket sled", then crashed it into reinforced concrete to learn about the collision of aircraft with structures such as a nuclear power plant. , May 2005 An F-4D (civilian registration NX749CF) is operated by the
Massachusetts-based non-profit organization
Collings Foundation as a "
living history" exhibit. Funds to maintain and operate the aircraft, which is based in
Houston, Texas, are raised through donations and sponsorships from public and commercial parties. In the 1960s,
NASA used the F-4 to photograph and film
Titan II missiles after their launch from
Cape Canaveral after finding the
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter inadequate. Jack Petry, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel, said he put his F-4 into a Mach 1.2 dive synchronized to the launch countdown, then "walked the [rocket's] contrail". Petry's Phantom stayed with the Titan for 90 seconds, reaching 68,000 feet, then broke away as the missile continued into space. NASA's
Flight Research Center acquired an F-4A on 3 December 1965. It made 55 flights flying chase on
X-15 missions and lifting body flights. The F-4 also supported a biomedical monitoring program involving 1,000 flights by NASA Flight Research Center aerospace research pilots and students of the
USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School flying high-performance aircraft. The pilots were instrumented to record accurate and reliable data of electrocardiogram, respiration rate, and normal acceleration. In 1967, the Phantom supported a brief military-inspired program to determine whether an airplane's sonic boom could be directed and whether it could be used as a weapon of sorts, or at least an annoyance. NASA also flew an F-4C in a spanwise blowing study from 1983 to 1985, after which it was returned. ==Culture==