McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II fighter jets just completed their 50th year with Turkey. To commemorate the event, the Turkish Air Force performed the “Elephant Walk” on the runway and conducted “Low Altitude Valley Training Flights.”
Turkey had acquired 233 of these very popular aircraft. Of them, 54 Turkish Phantoms underwent a major mid-life upgrade led by Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI), which brought them up to the F-4E Terminator 2020 standard.
Today, Turkey has around 50 aircraft and is among the last three operators, the others being its regional rivals Greece (18) and Iran (62). The induction of F-4s began in the US Air Force (USAF), Navy (USN), and Marine Corp (USMC) in 1960, so they are effectively of 64-year vintage.
Australia, Egypt, Germany, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Spain, and the United Kingdom were the other countries that operated the F-4. The aircraft saw major action in the Vietnam War, where it was pitted against the Soviet Union-supplied Vietnamese MiG-21.
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II
The F-4 Phantom II was a tandem two-seat, twin-engine, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber that mainly saw combat during the Vietnam War. It was first flown in 1958 and publicly revealed in 1960, after which it joined the service.
From 1958 to 1981, 5,195 were built, making it the most-produced American supersonic military aircraft in history and cementing its position as a signature combat aircraft of the Cold War.
Phantom was a large fighter with a top speed of over Mach 2.2. The AN/APQ-50 radar achieved all-weather intercept capability. The landing gear was suitably modified to meet requirements for carrier operations. Due to the heavy cockpit workload, a two-seat aircraft was preferred.
It can carry 8,400 kg of weapons on nine external hard points. The plane could carry four AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles and four long-range AIM-7 Sparrow missiles, but it did not have a gun. It could also carry air-to-ground missiles and various bombs.
Later, the E model had a cannon mounted on it. Beginning in 1959, it set 15 world records for in-flight performance, including absolute speed and altitude records.
After the F-15 Eagle replaced it, it was used as a bomber, and the G model was used as a “Wild Weasel.” It was out of combat use in the USA from 1996, Japan in 2021, and South Korea in 2024. The USA used these as combat drones until 2016.
Wild Weasel is a code name the USAF gives to an aircraft of any type equipped with anti-radiation missiles and tasked with suppressing enemy air defenses (SEAD): destroying the radar and surface-to-air missile (SAM) installations of enemy air defense systems. The F-4 was finally replaced by the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon in the USAF, the F-14 Tomcat in the U.S. Navy, and the F/A-18 Hornet in the USN and USMC.
It was also the only aircraft used by both the U.S. flight demonstration teams: the USAF Thunderbirds (F-4E) and the USN Blue Angels (F-4J).
F4 Variants
US Defense Secretary Robert McNamara had pushed the three services to create a unified fighter. The Phantom became the F-4, with the naval version designated F-4B and the US Air Force version named F-4C. The Phantom underwent many changes during its career, and numerous variants were developed.
The F-4J improved both air-to-air and ground-attack capability. Deliveries began in 1966 and ended in 1972, with 522 built. The Westinghouse AN/AWG-10 Fire Control System made it the first fighter in the world with operational look-down/shoot-down capability.
The F-4N (with smokeless engines) and F-4J aerodynamic improvements started in 1972 under a USN-initiated refurbishment program called “Project Bee Line,” with 228 converted by 1978. The F-4S model resulted from refurbishing 265 F-4Js with J79-GE-17 smokeless engines and AWG-10B radar with digitized circuitry. The United States Marine Corps (USMC) inducted 46 RF-4B also had reconnaissance cameras.
Finally, 5,057 Phantom II were built by McDonnell Douglas, and 138 were built in Japan by Mitsubishi. Of them, 2,874 went to the USAF, 1,264 to the Navy and Marine Corps, and the rest to foreign customers. The target drone variant QF-4C was operated by the U.S. military until December 2016.
World Records
All in all, the Phantom set 16 world records. On 6 December 1959, the second XF4H-1 performed a zoom climb to a world record 98,557 ft (30,040 m), and hitting Mach 2.5 (2,660 km/h). On September 5, 1960, an F4H-1 averaged 1,958.16 km/hr over a 500 km closed-circuit course. On September 25, 1960, an F4H-1F averaged 2,237.37 km/hr over a 100 km closed-circuit course.
On August 28, 1961, an F4H-1F Phantom II averaged 1,452.777 kilometers per hour over a 4.82 km course, flying below 125 feet at all times. Commander J.L. Felsman, USN, was killed during the first attempt at this record on 18 May 1961 when his aircraft disintegrated in the air after pitch damper failure. On December 5, 1961, another Phantom set a sustained altitude record of 66,443.8 feet (20,252 m).
In early 1962, a series of time-to-altitude records were set. These included 34.5 seconds to 3,000m, 114.5 seconds to 15,000m, and 371.4 seconds to 30,000m.
Combat Performance Features Vis-à-Vis MiG 21
“Speed is life” was the F-4 pilots’ slogan, as the Phantom’s greatest advantage in air combat was acceleration and thrust, which permitted a skilled pilot to engage and disengage from the fight at will. MiG-21s usually could outturn the F-4 because of the high drag on the Phantom’s airframe.
As a massive fighter aircraft designed to fire radar-guided missiles from beyond visual range, the F-4 lacked the agility of its Soviet opponents and was subject to adverse yaw during hard maneuvering.
Although the F-4 was subject to irrecoverable spins during aileron rolls, pilots reported the aircraft to be very responsive and easy to fly on the edge of its performance envelope. In 1972, the F-4E model was upgraded with leading-edge slats on the wing, greatly improving high-angle attack maneuverability at the expense of top speed.
The lack of an internal gun “was a big mistake on the F-4,” as it was premature to think that there would be no dogfights in the supersonic speed and missile age. The relatively new heat-seeking and radar-guided missiles were still unreliable, and pilots had to fire multiple missiles just to hit one enemy fighter.
Finally, an external gun pod containing a 20 mm M61A1 Vulcan Gatling cannon was introduced. They were far more cost-effective than missiles.
F4s in The Vietnam War
In the Vietnam War, it was initially the principal air superiority fighter for the Americans and later became important in ground attacks and aerial reconnaissance.
By the time of the Tonkin Gulf incident on August 2, 1964, 13 of 31 deployable USN squadrons were armed with F-4s. The F-4Bs from USS Constellation (CV-64) made the first Phantom combat sortie of the Vietnam War on August 5, 1964, flying bomber escort in Operation Pierce Arrow.
The first Phantom air-to-air victory of the War took place on April 9, 1965, when an F-4B shot down a Chinese MiG-17. On June 17, 1965, an F-4B shot down the first North Vietnamese MiG-21 of the war. On May 10, 1972, an F-4J shot down three MiG-17s to become the first American flying ace of the war.
The USN claimed 40 air-to-air victories at the cost of 73 Phantoms lost in combat (seven to enemy aircraft, 13 to SAMs, and 53 to anti-aircraft artillery). An additional 54 Phantoms were lost in mishaps.
USMC Phantoms operated from Da Nang Air Base on South Vietnam’s northeast coast. Marine F-4 pilots claimed three enemy MiGs (two while on exchange duty with the USAF) at the cost of 75 aircraft lost in combat, mostly to ground fire, and four in accidents. RF-4B variants flew reconnaissance missions from November 1966 until 1970 with no RF-4B losses and only one aircraft damaged by anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) fire.
Sixteen squadrons of USAF Phantoms were permanently deployed to Indo-China between 1965 and 1973, and 17 others deployed on temporary combat assignments. The USAF claimed 34 MiG-17s, 8 MiG-19s, and 66 MiG-21s shot by F-4s.
Most of these were shot using AAMs and significant 12 by guns. Only four were shot in maneuvering combat. A total of 445 USAF Phantom fighter-bombers were lost in its lifetime.
As many as 370 were in combat, of which 193 were over North Vietnam (33 to MiGs, 30 to SAMs, and 307 to AAA). When combined with USN and USMC losses, 761 American F-4/RF-4 Phantoms were lost in all.
On June 2, 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 shootdown was the first and only recorded gun kill while flying at supersonic speeds.
Phantom Vs MiG-21
The F-4 Phantom, with its massive firepower, the best available onboard radar, and the highest speed and acceleration properties, coupled with new tactics, was assumed to provide Phantoms with an advantage over the MiG-21.
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 April 3, 1965, and January 8, 1973, each side would ultimately claim favorable kill ratios.
Americans claimed F-4 pilots were credited with a total of 150 MiG kills at the cost of 42 Phantoms in air combat. Vietnam People’s Air Force (VPAF) claimed 103 F-4 Phantoms were shot down by MiG-21s at a cost of 54 MiG-21s downed by F-4s.
Famous American Air Aces on F-4
During the Vietnam War, one USAF pilot, two Weapon Systems Officers (WSO), one USN pilot, and one radar intercept officer (RIO) became Air Ace (5 Aerial Victories), all on F-4s.
Charles B. DeBellevue, a USAF WSO, had six aerial victories. The highest by any American aircrew in Vietnam. All while flying the F-4 Phantom II D/E.
Randall “Duke” Cunningham, a USN pilot, became the first and only Phantom pilot (and Topgun grad) to become a flying ace. He then became a Topgun instructor and commanded an adversary squadron.
Robin Olds (later Brigadier) was an American fighter pilot and combat leader, a “triple ace,” with a combined total of 17 victories, 13 in World War II and 4 in the Vietnam War, flying the F4. WSO Capt Jeffrey Feinstein became the last USAF ace of the war on October 13, 1972.
F4 in Other Combat Operations
In early December 1989, USAF F-4s from Clark Air Base participated in Operation Classic Resolve, President Bush’s response to the 1989 Philippine coup attempt against Aquino. 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.
On August 15, 1990, 24 F-4G Wild Weasel V 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 SEAD role then, and it was needed to protect coalition aircraft from Iraq’s extensive air defense system in the 1991 Gulf War.
As the US and Iran fell out after the 1979 Revolution, Iran tasked engineers with reverse engineering and developing components for fighter jets, including the Phantom, to maintain this rapidly aging fleet.
Israeli Phantoms saw extensive combat in several Arab–Israeli conflicts, while Iran used its large fleet of Phantoms, acquired before the fall of the Shah, in the Iran–Iraq War. The aircraft has most recently been in service against the Islamic State group in the Middle East.
Target Drone
Both USN and USAF operated QF-4 target drones until at least 2016 when they were replaced by early versions of the F-16s converted to a QF-16 configuration. QF-4 and QRF-4 aircraft had flown over 16,000 manned and 600 unmanned training sorties, with 250 unmanned aircraft being shot down in firing exercises. The final unmanned flight took place on August 17, 2016, with a QF-4E being fired upon by a Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.
To Summarize
The F-4 Phantom was the dominant US air superiority fighter of the Vietnam War. It was large and fast and carried a heavy missile load, which it could fire at bomber formations from beyond visual range.
Despite some limitations in maneuverability, pilot vision, and other factors, it proved versatile and tough, able to hold its own in the skies over North Vietnam. The Phantom found itself facing stiff opposition from the MiGs. Kill claims were a little exaggerated by both sides. Western kill ratios varied from 2:1 to 15:1 in favor of the F4. Certainly, after the MiG-21s joined the war, the kill ratio was closer to 1:1.
The MiG-17 proved more useful, as it was maneuverable, particularly at lower altitudes. It carried a 23mm and 37mm cannon. They were utilized in airfield defense and patrolling the ingress and egress routes American aircraft used.
USN test pilot Ronald McKeown later wrote that dogfighting in an F-4 against a MiG-17 “was like being a giant with a long rifle trapped in a phone booth with a midget using a knife.”
The MiG-19 entered service in late 1968, carrying two R3S Atoll missiles and three 30mm cannon. However, the Vietnam People’s Air Force’s (VPAF) most effective fighter was the MiG-21. It accelerated faster than an F-4 and was most effective at higher altitudes.
Phantom was relatively less agile compared to the nimbler MiGs. The MiG-21 carried four Atoll missiles and a 23mm cannon. Three of the VPAF’s 16 aces flew the MiG-17, while the rest flew MiG-21s. Considering that the MiG-21 had a lower fuel capacity, additional US fighters took off at intervals and attacked when the MiGs were low on fuel.
VPAF was fighting a guerrilla war in the air. Knowing they could not match the Americans in numbers or the ability to concentrate power. The North Vietnamese pilots attacked only when conditions seemed favorable.
About 55 percent of American strike missions that encountered MiGs were prevented from engaging their targets. In December 1966, 20 percent of the US strikes in the Hanoi area dropped their ordnance prior to reaching their targets due to MiG intercepts.
The Americans were forced to study MiGs by acquiring them clandestinely or through defecting pilots. In 1969, the Naval Fighter Weapons School (NFWS) ‘Top Gun’ was opened. The school aimed to train naval aviators in the tactics needed to defeat MiGs. The USN pilots fared much better due to their new training.
During its career, the Phantom gathered several nicknames, such as “Snoopy,” “Rhino,” “Double Ugly,” and “Old Smokey.”
In recognition of its record of downing large numbers of Soviet-built MiGs, it was called the “World’s Leading Distributor of MiG Parts.” The Turkish Air Force crewmen nicknamed it Baba (“Father”). The F-4 fans called it the “Phabulous Phantom”. Colonel (Ret.) Chuck DeBellevue reminisced, “The F-4 Phantom was the last plane that looked like it was made to kill somebody. It was a beast.”
- Air Marshal Anil Chopra (Retired) is an Indian Air Force veteran fighter test pilot and former Director-General of the Center for Air Power Studies in New Delhi. He has been decorated with gallantry and distinguished service medals while serving in the IAF for 40 years.
- He tweets @Chopsyturvey
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