Two of the colour schemes worn by the Texas AFRES unit ( Author's Coffection)

Carrying a towed target dart this F-4D was based at RAF Bentwaters in the UK (IC> Glenn Sands)

Chapter 1

weapons aiming, the F-4C had relied on a fIxed sight and a simple chart on which the image of the target was projected, and the operation of this system made accurate bombing very difficult, and therefore the F-4D had improved avionics to increase the accuracy of its air-to-ground weapons. These included an ANI ASQ-91 weapons release computer system which measured various aircraft parameters such as speed, attitude, and climbing rate, and combined it with radar data on the slant range to the target to tell the bomb when to drop from the aircraft. Also fItted was an AN/ASG-22 lead computing optical sight with amplifIer and gyro designed to improve the effectiveness of the Phantom in air-to-air combat.

The F-4D In Service 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing, Kunsan AB, Korea, 1971-1 974. 35th TFS, 36th TFS, 80th TFS. 4th Tactical Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, NC, 1967-1970. 334th TFS, 335th TFS, 336th TFS. Deployments to Kunsan AB, Korea. 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, Ubon RTAFB, Thailand. 433rd TFS, 435th TFS, 497th TFS, 555th TFS(l967-1968)

12th Tactical Fighter Wing, Phu Cat AB, South Vietnam. Assumed control of the fo rmer 37th TFW and its F-4Ds flown by the 389th TFS,and 480th TFS. Inactivated Nov 1971. 18th Tactical Fighter Wing, Kadena AB, Okinawa. 25th TFS (1975- 1979). Several detachments to Korat RTAFB, Thailand. Inactivated Aug 1980. 31st Tactical Training Wing, Homestead AFB, FL, 198 1-1987. 306th TFTS, 307th TFTS, 309th TFTS. 33rd Tactical Fighter Wing, Eglin AFB, FL. 35th Tactical Fighter Wing, Phan Rang AB, Thailand. 36th Tactical Fighter Wing, Bitburg AB, Germany. Elements of the 36th fl ew F-4Ds between 1966 and 1973. 48th Tactical Fighter Wing, RAF Lakenheath, UK. Assets reassigned to 474th TFW at Nellis AFB, NV 49th Tactical Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem, AB, Germany. 50th Tactical Fighter Wing, Hahn AB, Germany, lOth TFS, 496th TFS. 52nd Tactical Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem AB, Germany. 480th TFS (1976-1980). 54th Tactical Fighter Wing, Kunsan AB, Korea. Activated Jun 1970, taking place of 354th TFW. Inactivated Oct 1970. 56th Tactical Fighter Wing, MacDill AFB, FL, 1978-1980. 57th Fighter Weapons Wing, Nellis AFB, NV414th FWS (until 197\). 81st Tactical Fighter Wing, RAF Bentwaters, UK. 78th TFS (1966-1979) 91 th TFS (1973-1979), 92nd TFS (1973-1979). 354th Tactical Figher Wing, Kunsan AB, South Korea. 560th TFS, 33rd TFS, 335th 16th TFS, 478th TFS. Wing assets passed to 54th TFW Jun 1970, when wing transferred to Myrtle Beach AFB, SC with A-7Ds. 366th Tactical Fighter Wing, Holloman AFB, NM. 389th TFS,

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The matt paint finish aboard this Phantom from the Oregon Air Guard was common across its fleet (It> Author's CoHection)

66-739 again, this time note the 'Pave Spike' designator pod ( Auttio", Col/eetion)

66-739 wearing the 'Cloud ' variation olthe Hill Grey scheme ( Auttio", Col/eetion)

The F-4C and F-4D ~

66-768 of the 924 TFG on the Nellis ramp at 'Gunsmoke' ( Author's Collection)

A good view of the upper pattern of the 'Cloud' scheme (~ Author's Catteenan)

A brace of F-40's carrying GBU-8 HOBOS munitions ( via Tony Thomborough)

~ Chapter 1

390th TFS, 480th TFS. Operated F-4D from 1968 to 1972. Deployments to Phu Cat AB, Vietnam, Takhli RTAFB, Thailand. 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, Korat RTAFB, Thailand. 34th TFS(l 974) 35th TFS (1972). Reassigned to Hill AFB, Utah Dec 1975, and acquired 4th TFS, 34th TFS, and 421 th TFS. Convertd to F-16 Jan 1979. 40 1st Tactical Fighter Wing, Torrejon AB, Spain, 1978- 1983.

405th Fighter Wing, Clark AB, Philippines. 1st Test Squadron (1970), 523rd TFS (l970-1 973( inactivated)), 90th TFS (1 973- 1973) . 64th FIS and 509th FIS operated F-l02s. Detachments to Taiwa in, Thailand, South Vietnam. Replaced by the 3rd TFW in Sept 1974. 432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, Udorn RTAFB, Thailand. 13th TFS equipped with F-4Ds in Oct 1967. Redesignated 432nd Tactical Fighter Wing Nov 1974. Inactivated Nov 1975. 474th Tactical Fighter Wing, Nellis AFB, NY. 428th TFS, 429th TFS, 430th TFS. Acquired Lakenheath F-4Ds in 1977, and fl ew them until converting to F-1 6s in 1982. 475th Tactical Fighter Wing, Misawa AB, Japan. Inactivated when assets were used to reform the 3rd TFW in Mar 1972, and 475th inactivated. 479th Tactical Fighter Wing, George AFB, CA. 1965-1972. Re-equipped with F-4Es in 1972.

In the early 1980s, F-4Ds began to reach Air Force Reserve units. The units obtaining the F-4D included:

89th TFS, 906th TFG 93rd TFS, 482nd TFW 457th TFS, 301 st TFW 465th TFS, 507th TFG 704th TFS, 924th TFG

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By the late 1980s, most of the AF Reserve units had exchanged their F-4Ds for F-16A/Bs. The last AF Reserve unit to USe the F-4D, the 482nd TFW, converted to F-16A/Bs in ~o\'ember of 1989. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, ex-USAF F-4 Ds began to reach the Air National Guard. The first ANG unit :0 operate the F-4D was the 178th FIS of the I I 9th FIG of the ~orth Dakota ANG, which got its planes in March of 1977. ANG F-4Ds served both in the tactical fighter role and in the interceptor role.

ANG units Operators Illth FIS, 147th FIG, Texas ANG 121st FIS, 113th TFW, District of Columbia ANG 127th FIS, 184th TFG, Kansas ANG 128th FIS, 116th TFG, Georgia ANG 134th FIS, 158th TFG, Vermont ANG 136th FIS, i07th FIG, New York ANG 14 lth TFS, 108th TFW, New Jersey ANG 160th TFS, 187th TFG,AlabamaANG I 70th TFS, 18erd TFG, Illinois ANG 171st FIS, 19lst FIG, Michigan ANG I 77th TFTS, 184th TFG, Kansas ANG 178th FIS, 119th FIG, North Dakota ANG I 79th FIS, 148th FG, Minnesota ANG 194th FIS, 144th FIW, California ANG

During the early 19905, the F-4Ds in the ANG were all

/

withdrawn from service and replaced by F- 16s and by 1992, the last F-4Ds had been withdrawn from the fighter interceptor groups of the Air National Guard.

Matching one of the Phantom's nicknames is this 'Rhino' nose art aboard 66-491 from the Niagra Falls Air Guard ( Author's Collection)

An F-40 at Eglin AFB where tests were carried out with the 'Pave Knife' pod ( via Tony Thornborough)

One of the F-40's based at Lakenheath in the UK ( via Glenn Sands)

The F-4C and F-4D ~

A heavily laden F-4C at Cam Rahn Bay in 1968, note the underfuselage gun pack (~ via Glenn Sands)

Taken early in the war, an ADC grey Phantom takes on gas from a KC-135 ( Boeing)

~ Chapter 1

-~----

Deployment to Vietnam

The F-4C

Along with the US Navy versions, the USAF Phantoms became the mainstay of air combat operations in South East Asia. The 15th TFW deployed its 45th

Tactical Fighter Squadron to Thailand in 1965 and on July 10, scored their first kills of the Vietnam War when they destroyed two MiG-1 7s over North Vietnam with Sidewinder miss iles. In time, the F-4C took over the bulk of the heavy fighting over Nor th and South Vietnam. On a typical miss ion over the North, an F-4C would carry four Sparrows, four Sidewinders, and a load of eight 75D-pound bombs. The AIM-7D/E Sparrow gave the Phantom a beyond visual range capability at distances of up to 28 miles, however, such launches were very rarely permitted under the terms of the rules of engagement. When it was fired , the Sparrow turned out to be virtually useless against fighter-sized targets, especially at low altitudes, which made the smaller AIM-9B/D Sidewinder the weapon of choice and it scored more aerial victories than any other weapon. On the other side of the coin on July 24 1965, F-4C 63-7599 of the 47th Tactical Fighter

A gaggle of Phantoms drop their ordnance guided by an EB-66 Destroyer ( USAF)

Squadron was the first American warplane to be downed by a surface- to-air miss ile. In the first two years of combat in Vietnam, the casualties among the first F-4C squadrons had reached almost 40 percent, for a total of 54 aircraft. Mos t were lost to AAA, but a few were lost in stall/spin accidents at low altitude. The F-4C lacked the guns of a complete fighter system, which was found to be a serious deficiency in close-in air-to-air combat. The addition of a SUU- 16A gun pod on the under fuselage centerline compensated for the lack of a gun, but it seriously degraded overall performance and in addition made the aircraft somewhat unstable and difficu lt to recover from a spin.

The early F-4Cs deployed to Vietnam had problems with leaking wing tanks, these problems being so serious that they needed to be carefully resealed after each flight. The radar too had a tendency to malfunction far too easily, the humid air of Southeast As ia being a persistent problem. Early F-4Cs also suffered problems with cracked ribs and stringers on the outer wing panels, and later aircraft were equipped with a heavier stringer and an additional wing rib, whilst the earlier aircraft had this mod retrofi tted. A number of F-4Cs were equipped with a radar homing and warni ng (RHAW) system, which enabled these fighters to act as killer pack leaders for air st rikes on radar and surface -to-air sites.

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The F-4D

From the spring of 1967, the F-4D gradually began to replace the earlier F-4C in combat in Vietnam. It initially appeared over Vietnam with the 8th TFW, commanded by Lt. Col. Robin Olds. The first F-4D MiG kill took place on June 5, 1967, when crewmen Maj. Everett T. Raspberry and Capt. Francis Gullick shot down a MiG- 17 near Hanoi and the F-4D went on to destroy 45 enemy aircraft, and Captain Steve Ritchie of the 432nd TFW got his lifth kill in F-4D number 66-0167 on August 18,1972.

However, the infrared Falcon proved relatively unsuccessful in air-to-air combat in Vietnam, shooting down only four ~ liG- 1 7s and one MiG-21 between October 26,1967 and February 5, 1968. The Falcon proved to be somewhat temperamental in service, requiring a lot of careful setting up and tweaking and had a limited manoeuvrability regime and

had a tendency to cause engine flameouts when fired! Perhaps the most significant problem with the AIM-4D was that its fire control system required 6-7 seconds to actually launch the missile after the firing button was pushed, which

Heavily laden Phantoms take on gas from a KC-135 Tanker before heading to target (~ USAF)

Complete with LORAN 'towel rail' 66-761 sits in a revetment at Ubon RTAFB in the August of 1971 (~ via Glenn Sands)

Another heavily laden F-4D 67-707 seen at Da Nang in 1968 (~ via Glenn Sands)

The F-4C and F-4D ~

F-4D 67-696 'The Blue Max' at Da Nang in March 1968 ( via Mark Smith)

F-4D, F65-683/DC, Of the 13TFS, 432TRW, based at Udorn, Thailand and the personal mount 01 Aircraft 01 Col. W.E. Bevan ( APiccirillo)

'Triple Nickel' MiG Killer 01 Captain Steve Ritchie, with live Kill-Stars ( via Glenn Sands)

~ Chapter 1

is an eternity in a dogfight. Plus the Falcon required a direct hit to explode, since there was no proximity fuse and the explosive warhead was quite small , only about 4 pounds. In later years, the absence of an internal cannon was seen as a liability in close- in air-to-air combat. The F-4D could carry an external centreline SUU-23 pod containing an M-6IAI cannon, but it was bulky, provided lots of drag which se riously compromised perfo rmance, and was rather inaccurate. The Westinghouse ANI ASQ-152(V) -2 Pave Spike laser target designator was fitted to several F-4Ds. The cylindrical Pave Spike laser designator pod was mounted inside one of the Sparrow miss ile wells on the fuselage unders ide. The system used television optics, which made it daylight-capable only. Alternatively the ANI AVQ-I 0 Pave Knife laser target des ignator could be carried on the inboard underwing pylon of specially modified F-4Ds. This pod had a stabilised head housing a boresighted TV camera and laser; attempts were made to slave the pod's optics to the aircraft radar, but these were not successful. The system operated by hav ing the pod look in the same direction as the pilot's bomb sight, with the weapons system offi cer then finding the target on his monitor screen as the pilot pointed his aircraft at it. Combat missions with the Pave Knife began on May 23, 1968, initially in conjunction with the GBU-IO/B laser-guided bomb and all aircraft so equipped were ass igned to the 433rd TFS of the 8th TFW. Perhaps the most spectacular use of Pave Knife was the dropping of a span of the Paul Doumer Bridge

near Hanoi on May 10, 1972 which had survived literally hundreds of previous attacks .

Two F-4Ds (66-8738 and 66-8812) were fitted with the AVQ-II Pave Sword precision attack sensor which consisted of a modified AIM-9 Sidewinder seeker head as a laser spot tracker for targets designated by AVQ-12 Pave Spot laser designators carried by 0-2As. The system was mounted inside a modified SUU- II gunpod suspended from the right-forward Sparrow well or from the right inboard underwing pylon. F-4D 66-8700 received the Pave Fire system mounted

in a centreline pod. This system used low-light level television and laser ranging equipment to perform dive- toss bombing missions at night. However, the designation of the target was found to be trickier than expected, and the Pave Fire system was never very successful , and only one Phantom was so modified.

Some aircraft assigned to the 8th TFW were fitted with the AVQ-9 Pave Light laser designator, namely to 65-0597, 0609, 0612, 0642, 0677, 0706, 0786,and 66-8814,8815,8817,and 8823. This designator was mounted on the left side of the rear canopy frame of the F-4D. In order to use the system, the pilot had to fly in a left turn around the ta rget and shine the laser while other aircraft attacked it. If an emergency escape proved to be necessary, the WSO first had to remove and store the designator before he could safely eject. AN/ARN-92 LORAN-D navigation equipment was fitted to 72 Pave Phantom F-4Ds and these aircraft could be readily be identified by a rather prominent 'towel-rail' antenna on the upper rear fuselage behind the rear cockpit, and the primary mission of these aircraft was seeding of the Ho Chi Minh trail with sensors, which required the precise night-time navigational capability provided by LORAN. The primary

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An F-4D is prepared lor Ilight ( via USAF)

67-457 01 the 497 TFS, 8th TFW 'Wallpack' during 'Rolling Thunder' operations. Note the black undersides ( via Richard L Ward)

F-4D 'The SainI' 01 Colonel Paul C Watson 01 the 366th TFW at Da Nang ( A Piccirillo)

F-4D 68-782/FD with intakes shrouded (IC> J. W Boyce)

F-4D ollhe 8th TFW 'Wollpack' and 'Old Eagle Eye' ( A Piccirillo)

The F-4C and F-4D ~

67-554 an F-4D and double MiG-Killer ( J. II( Boyce)

Vietnam Ace Colonel Robin OIds (e USAF)

The results of a mortar aHack on this Phantom are pretty clear! (e via Glenn Sands)

~ Chapter 1

operators of the towel-rail F-4Ds were the 25th and 497th TFS of the 8th TFW and the 555th TFS of the 432nd TFW. Subsequently, these aircraft were passed along to the 457th TFS of the 301st TFW, the 23rd TFS of the 52nd TFW, and the 704th TFS of the 924th TFG.

The Combat Tree modification of 1968-69 permitted the retention of a full missile load while carrying electronic

Vietnam WSO Charles DeBelievue who partnered Captain 'Steve' Richie in downing a MiG on the 10th May 1972 ( USAF)

countermeasures gear. It did this by adding an attachment point for a countermeasures pod on the inboard pylon, which could now carry two more AIM-9J Sidewinder missiles on each side. Under the Pave Arrow program, two F-4Ds were equipped with a Sidewinder infrared seeker mounted in a fixed pod for locating heat sources from ground targets. The Phantom's exploits in Vietnam are well documented in other publications and space precludes detailing their actions within the pages of this Dataflle.

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'Snoopy' on an unidentified F4 ( J.W Boyce)

65459 an RF4C of the 11th IRS 'Night Owl' ( J.W Boyce)

66371 , 34th TFS, 388th TFW 'Arizona Chicken' ( J.W Boyce)

loaded with 'Sticks' and taking on gas ( via Glenn Sands)

F40 68 782/FA of the 25th TFS, 8th TFW, based at Ubon, November 1968. Yellow air intets on lower nose, canopy trim, dragon and placard all oullined black. Name 'Flave' on nose air intake is in purple ( A Piccinllo)

The He and HD ~

The RF-4C

65-907 Irom the Kentucky Air Guard wearing a variation 01 the SEA colour scheme ( Glenn Sands)

An early Gulf Grey RF-4C with its Buu Number FJ-051 ( USAF)

~ Chapter2

The RF-4C was the unarmed photographic reconnaissance version of the USAF's F-4C where the armament and radar of the fighter version was removed and replaced

with specialised photo-reconnaissance equipment. Perhaps the most distinctive difference between the F-4C and the RF-4C was the presence of a new, longer, more pointed nose in which the fire control radar of the fighter version was replaced by cameras, mapping radar, and infrared imaging equipment for its reconnaissance role. McDonnell had studied a number reconnaissance versions for the USAF and in January 1961 this led to the Specific Operational Requirement 196, which by December 31 1962 had evolved in parallel with the development of the RF-4B Photo-Phantom for the Marine Corps. The first YRF-4C, 62-1 2200, took its maiden flight on August 9, 1963, fitted with the now familiar extended glazed nose associated with the RF-4C, but not fitted with cameras or other reconnaissance systems. It was followed on September 30, 1963 by the second YF-4C, 62-12201, and this aircraft now sported high and low panoramic and frame cameras but still lacked most of the other systems that were planned for production aircraft.

The RF-4C had three camera stations in the nose, a forward camera station (situated just behind the radar) which could carry a single oblique or vertical KS-S7 camera, behind that, in the number two or 'Low Altitude' station, a KA-56 low-altitude camera could be carried, (although this could be replaced by a trio of vertical, left, and right oblique KS-B7 cameras - or a vertical KA- l could also be carried in the low-altitude station instead of the KS-B7, or a KS-72 could replace a KS-B7 in the 30-degree oblique position) and in the third or 'High Altitude' station just ahead of the cockpit under the nose where a single KA-55A or KA-9 ! high-altitude panoramic camera in a stabilised mount could be carried. Alternatively, two split vertical KS-B7 cameras could be carried in this position, or KC-l or T-ll mapping cameras could be installed. The High Altitude station could also house an AN/AVD-21aser reconnaissance set, but this was later withdrawn from use.

The RF-4C was also fitted with a 'photoflash' ejection system for night photography with the ejectors being fitted on the upper rear fuselage behind hydraulically-actuated doors. Up to and including RF-4C 71-0259, pairs of ejectors were fitted on each side, one with 26 M 11 2 cartridges and one with 10M 123 cartridges, however from RF-4C 72-0145 onward, a single LA-249A ejec tor was carried, with 20 MISS cartridges. The AN/APQ-72 radar in the nose of the F-4C was replaced by the very much smaller Texas Instruments ANI APQ-99 two-lobe monopulse J-band radar which had both terrain-avoidance and terrain-following modes, as well as a ground mapping capability. This was later replaced by the Texas Instruments ANI APQ-l 72 in all surviving RF-4Cs. Electronic reconnaissance sensors included an ANI AAD-5 or ANI AAS-IB infrared detection set which was installed just aft of the nose wheel bay. The AAD-5 infrared linescan unit with high performance in dual fields and automatic control of velocitylheight ratio and could convert video signals into a permanent film record whereas the ANI AAS-IB offered improved optics and up to 350 feet of S0249B film. Some RF-4Cs were also fitted with the AN/AVQ-9 infra red detection set and laser target designator to provide slant range for weapons

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A close-up of the artwork applied to the Alabama ANG Celebratory Phantom ( Authors Col/,elion)

--- ----- -------

--

---64-053 from the California ANG. Note the crew's equipment hanging over the travel pod on the inboard pylon (\0 Author's Collection)

The RF-4C ~

The Alabama Air National Guard celebrated 35 years of the Phabulous Phantom in style at the London International Airshow in Ontario ( Author's Collection)

64-051 showing the typical low-visibility marking applied to the Alabama Air National Guard RF-4C's in their later years ( Author's Collection)

65-896 in European 1 or 'Lizard' camouflage ( Author's Coffection)

A pristine looking RF-4C 68-571 obviously showing the markings of the 12 AMU along with its BA tailcode. The sharp nose demarcation lines on the upper grey are well evident here ( Author's Collection)

~ Chapter 2

aiming and high-resolution thermal imaging. The RF-4C was also fitted with a Goodyear AN/APQ- 102 SLAR Sideways Looking Airborne Radar, or 'fan scan' with antennae built into either side of the lower nose just aft of the optical reconnaissance bay. This system also included a Moving Target Indicator which enabled the tracking of slow-moving targets. This system was later replaced on some aircraft with the :\NI APD-lO, with an extended range antenna in a modified 600-gallon external fuel tank and a UPD-8 data-link assembly. This data-link had a steerable antenna which made it possible to send radar images to ground stations in real time. The ARC-105 high-frequency radio required a giant shunt antenna which was recessed into both sides of the vertical fin and this fi t required the upper pitot head be deleted. The original nose shape featured a flat underside and an angled window projection for the High Altitude Station, however many RF-4Cs

The Phantom always leant itself to decoration, as can be seen here on the 117th TRW 'Spook' ( Author's Cottection)

Nearest the camera 65-931 is from the Mississippi ANG, in company with another RF-4C from the California Air Guard. Note the colour of the ANG badge ( Author's Cottection)

were modified with an aerodynamically-refined nose with a bulge added to the camera housing which allowed larger cameras to be carried. From aircraft 69-0375 onward, the low-altitude panoramic camera could be used in conjunction with an ejectable film cassette; this was designed to get film into the hands of ground-based intelligence units as rapidly as possible. Upon ejection, the film cassette deployed a parachute and a transmitter which aided recovery. However, this system proved to be impractical in the field, and immediate post-flight film processing capability was provided by mobile film processing 'vans' which were quickly deployed to Southeast Asia.

The RF-4C was provided with 'stick and rudder' controls in the rear seat, and the back-seater or 'reconnaissance package operator' could and did fly the aircraft on many occasions, especially on long overwater flights. However as the view from the back seat was very poor, landings were impracticable as the

The RF-4C's last hurrah was the Operation Oesert Storm, and here 64-047 taxies out for another mission, complete with wing mounted ECM pod (USAF)

65-910 in the markings of the tdaho ANG. This aircraft was retired to AMARC on 25th August 1995 ( Author's Cottection)

A sad picture of 72-0146 from the 10th TRW based at RAF Alconbury at the RAF Brawdy Airshow in 1986. Not an hour after this shot was taken the aircraft crashed into the sea during its display, killing both crew. ( Author's Collection)

TheRF-4C ~

The 'bulged nose' version 01 the RF-4C can be clearly seen here ( Glenn Sands)

An RF-4C rests having just undergone an engine test at March AFB in California ( Author's Collection)

69-370 of the 26th TRW based at Zwiebriicken in Germany ( Aulhor's Colleclion)

~ Chapter2

ZR -;- 26TRW

Close-up of the artwork applied to the top recce-jet of Gulf War I ( Suresh AlapaNu)

...

The Alabama Air Guard celebrated 75 years by painting up one of their RF-4s to commemorate 'Jennies to Jets! Note also the Sidewinder missiles ( Gary Chambers)

Looking straight down the front of a 'liat nosed' RF-4C showing the shape and position of the forward-facing camera ( Mark Carlisle)

This Zwiebriicken based RF-4C 68-595 carries the LORAN 'towel rail' antennae on its spine and a full colour 'stars and bars' ( Dennis Robinson)

rear position had no means of lowering the landing gear normally, (in order to lower the landing gear, the backseater had to pull an emergency handle to blow the gear down, which would deplete the hydraulics and cause the wheel brakes to fail) and in addition, the backseater could not lower the arrester hook or deploy the drag chute.

The ECM capabilities of the RF-4C were progressively upgraded throughout its long service life and the radar homing and warning systems (RHAWS) fitted included the ALR- 17, -31, -46, -50 or -126 and late in its service life the standardised ANI ALR-46A radar. Newer electronic systems included the Litton 'Pave Onyx' AN/ALQ-125 TEREC (Tactical Electronic Reconnaissance) sensor with data link equipment for transmission in near real-time and also retrofitted to some

Although looking a little weary and close to retirement this RF-4C still inspires! ( Gary Chambers)

66-467 shows oil the 'European l' or 'Lizard' colour scheme to great ellect ( Glenn Sands)

TheRF-4C ~

A good underfuselage view of the RF-4C showing its camera ports and electronic sensor bulges along the forward fuselage side. Note the lack of Sparrow missile recesses, a trademark of the unarmed RF-4 family ( Gary Chambers)

68-600 in SEA camouflage with the 'LORAN' 'towel rail' on its spine. This fit was later removed from all RF-4Cs (11:> Gary Chambers)

Close in on the 'toothy' nose of a 'Desert Storm' veteran, noted by the 'camels' painted on the splitter plate (11:> AuIMr'S CalfecYan)

~ Chapter2

block 37 aircraft was the Lear Siegler AN/ARN-IOI digital modular avionics system navigational unit, with a few aircraft also carrying the Chicago Aerial Industries Electronic Wide-Angle Camera System (EWACS) . The AN/AVQ-26 'Pave Tack' infrared detection set could also be carried by thirty-nine specially-wired RF-4Cs and again a few of these aircraft could also carry the AN/ AVQ-9laser target designator slaved to the IR detecting set with a retrofitted upgraded APQ-I72 forward-looking radar.

In 1970, twenty RF-4Cs (IS of the Block-40 RF-4Cs and two from Block 41) were retrofitted with the ARN-92 LORAN-D navigation system with a 'towel rail' antenna on the upper rear fuselage, which provided all-weather blind navigation capability. The RF-4C could also carry the gigantic General Dynamics HIAC-1 LOROP (Long-Range Oblique Photography) camera system housed inside a large G-139 pod mounted on the fuselage centreline. This camera system was originally developed for the General Dynamics/Martin RB-S7F and was capable of showing astonishing detail at standoff distances as large as 100 miles. Several LOROP-equipped RF-4Cs flew reconnaissance missions along the North Korean and Eastern European borders, however, with such a large pod mounted underneath the fuselage, the performance was severely compromised and later, 24 aircraft were outfitted to carry a

CAl KS-127 A or KS-127F LOROP camera with a 66' focal length in camera stations 2 and 3. Initially, the RF-4C carried no weapons, with the underfuselage Sparrow missile slots of the F-4C being omitted. However, in an emergency the RF-4C could carry a nuclear weapon on the centreline position, but this was rarely done in practice. Aircraft from the European-based 10th TRW were eventually fitted with AJB-7 10w-altitude bombing system equipment just in case the delivery of nuclear weapons ever became necessary. In later years, RF-4Cs were armed with AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles on their inner wing pylon for self-defence and provision was also made to carry an AN/ALQ-IIS(V)-IS or Raytheon AN/ALQ-184(V)1 ECM pod on the starboard inner wing pylon.

The first production RF-4Cs went to the 33rd TRTS training unit at Shaw AFB in September 1964 and the first operational unit to receive the RF-4C was the 16th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron of the 363rd TRW at Shaw AFB, achieving initial combat-readiness in August of 1965. Even then, early RF-4Cs continued to fly without their full operational equipment, and many of the components carried were still unqualified. As part of the 460th TRW, the 16th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was deployed to Tan Sun Nhut in South Vietnam in October of 1965 and the second RF-4C squadron in action in Southeast Asia was the ISth TRS, which entered combat in February of 1967. Initial missions turned up a whole host of problems and deficiencies such as the AN/APQ-102A side-looking radar, which had major teething troubles and was initially very unreliable in combat and took years before its problems were fully fixed. Likewise the AN/AAS-IS infrared sensor was initially defective and had to be improved. During the next eight years of the Vietnam War, the RF-4C served at various times with the 11th, 12th, 14th and 16th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadrons, flying missions from Tan Son Nhut

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The RF-4C was a familiar sight over the skies of the UK with the 10th TRW being based at RAF Alconbury ( Gary Chambers)

Another 'sharksmouth' variation on this 'bulged nose' RF4C ( Gary Chambers)

Another Sharksmouth aboard the chirpily named 'Freeze Frame' ( Author's Collection)

TheRF4C ~

Taken in a revetment during the Vietnam War, a camouflaged RF-4C is readied for a night mission. ( USAF)

'Phantoms Finest' from the Kentucky ANG ( Glenn Sands)

~ Chapter2

AB and from Udorn RTAFB in Thailand flying unescorted day miss ions until 1972, over North and South Vietnam as well as Laos. The aircraft gained an impressive record during the most intense years of the war as no RF-4Cs were lost to enemy fighters, however, seven were shot down by SAMs and sixty-five were destroyed by AAA or small arms fi re, and four were destroyed on the ground with a further seven being lost in operational accidents. The last of the 503 production RF-4Cs was delivered in December of 1973, giving the aircraft a production run of over ten years, longer than any other Phantom variant save the F-4E.

Interestingly the RF-4C was the first version of the Phantom to reach the Air National Guard with the 106th TRS of the 11 7th TRW of the Alabama ANG, first to receive the jet in February of 1971, replacing that unit's RF-84F Thunderflashes. Afterwards, eight more Guard squadrons acquired RF-4Cs, and a training unit was added to the Idaho ANG. By early 1989, the number of RF-4C squadrons serving on active duty with the

USAF was down to seven and these comprised the 16th TRS at Shaw AFB, the 12th TRS, 45th TRTS, 62nd TRS, and 91st TRS at Bergstrom AFB with TAC, the 15th TRS at Kadena AB on Okinawa with PACAF, and the 38th TRS at Zwiebrucken AB in Germany with USAFE. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact led to accelerated retirement and in 1989, the 15th TRS was transferred from the 18th TFW at Kadena to the 406th TRG at Taegu AB in Korea, and was inactivated a year later. The retirement of the last remain ing USAFE and TAC RF-4C units was in the planning stages when Iraq invaded Kuwait in August of 1990, and further deactivation plans were put on hold. Consequently, the RF-4C was still in service with the USAF at the time of Desert Storm . In response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwai t, the 106th TRS of the 1 I 7th TRW of the Alabama ANG deployed on August 24, 1990 to Sheika Isa in Bahrain as part of Desert Shield, and its LOROP-equipped aircraft were used to conduct pre-war surveillance of Iraqi forces in occupied Kuwait as well as those deployed along the Saudi Arabia-Iraq border. In December, the 106th TRS was relieved by the 192nd TRS of the Nevada ANG and later, RF-4Cs taken from the USAF's 12th TRS/67th TRW and the 38th TRS/26th TRW were deployed to the Gulf whilst the 26th TRW of USAFE was detached to the 7440th Composite Wing at Incirlik AB in Turkey and the 67th TRW went to the 35th TFW (Provisional) at Sheik Isa AB in Bahrain to serve alongside the RF-4Cs the Air National Guard. It's worth noting that some of these aircraft were veterans of combat in Vietnam. When the first air strikes aga inst Iraq took place on January 17, 1991, the RF-4Cs were in action from the

A line up of 18 TRW aircraft from Shaw AFB carrying the JO tail code. 01 note is the plethora of stencil markings showing all the major servicing pOints and warning areas ( Ken Wilhers)

RF-4C Camera Nose Details

~

"" 1114626318 / f1

5031

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~ Chapter 2

Forward Camera Bay

Fuselage side camera aperture

The various camera windows in the RF-4C nose

Photos Author's Collection & USAF, Diagrams McDonnell Douglas

~"--. -.~~

. .. " "

" "

RF-4C Camera Nose Details

The lorward portion 01 the camera bay swings lorwards lor access.

Photos Author's Collection & USAF, Diagrams McDonnell Douglas

VIEW FINDER WINDOW COVEll ITEMS '.51 AND 2-5'

The protective covers \ litted to the camera windows

c' ",,,, ,:;,, t\ ~ .

AfT PAN OIAMIC WI NDOW COVEll ITEM 2-52

0111: LAsn WINDOW COVEll ITEM 2-5'

" ~

'~:~i~~::~rrl /,:J.< ~ )p~! CJ ~ Q A{' ~C-~~. ~ ' ~ II vm''',W,NOOWCOVER

_--~ '- IUMS ' 54 AND ' -SS

,=:::::;~~~~ ~~" '" ' ~'r' -" tTEMS '56 AND , .51 ~:~)

,.11 1 /'

fORWA ID VUITICAL WINDOW COY ER ITEMS ,-so AND 2-51

Structure

The camera unit swings down lor reloading and servicing

--~

~"" " " " " 17

The RF-4C ~

RF-4C Camera Nose Details

, "

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~ Chapter2

WARNING

~.:::::

2J ,. "

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30

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Side panel access points

~~.'.iY' :.J .~

" The optically flat glazing allows for excellent imagery

Port side camera aperture details

Photos Author's Collection & USAF, Diagrams McDonneff Douglas

25

38

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31 /J V"

-

RF-4C Camera Nose Details

Ground crew change the film magazines

\ 1

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The in-cockpit camera selection panel

Lower camera bay glazing

PhD/OS ~ Author's Collection & USAF, Diagrams McDonnell Doug/as

Refitting the camera after a film change. Note the flat undernose on this early RF4

TheRF-4C ~

RF-4C

~ Chapter 2

a Nose Details Carner

The RF-4C's rear moun e On detail t d Photoflash bay I

. Diagrams McDonnell Douglas ------- Author's Collection & USAF, Photos

UPPER PH OTOFLASH CARTRIDGE EJECTOR

RF-4C Cockpit

-

1 - 3 Front cockpit

4 Rear cockpit

( Author's Collection)

TheRF-4C ~

Colour Art David Howley

~ Colour Side-views

Colour Side-views 1 F-4C

64-0676, F-4C, 12 TFW, Cam Ramh Bay, in 1966. Light Gull Grey (FS 36440) and white

63-7588, F-4C, 557 TFS, 12 TFW, Cam Ranh Bay, 1968. FS30219 Tan/FS 34079 Green/FS 34102 Green over FS36622 Grey. Names on canopy rail not readable

63-7676, F-4C, 4TFTS, 58 TFTW, Luke AFB, AZ, in 1976. Note 2 MiG kills on the splitter plate. FS30219 Tan/FS 34079 Green/FS 34102 Green over FS36622 Grey

63-7589, F-4C, 57 FIS, Keflavik, lceland, circa 1976177. Overall FS 16473 AOC Grey

Colour Art David Howley

Colour Side-views 2 F-4C/EF-4C/F-4D

64-0829, F-4C, 93rd TFS, 482 TFW. Marked as the flagship of the 482nd TFW, the aircraft is also a double MiG killer. Pilot: Col. D. Erwin and WSO Capt. B. Hancock. Homestead AFB April 1982. Wrap-around FS30219 Tan/FS 34079 Green/FS 34102 Green over FS36622 Grey

63-7583, F-4C, 171 FIS, 191 FIG, Mitchigan ANG, Selfridge ANG Base, circa 1982-86. Overall FS 16473 ADC Grey

64-0847, EF-4C, 39 TFTS (later 563 TFS) , 35 TFW, circa 1977/78. FS30219 Tan/FS 34079 Green/FS 34102 Green over FS36622 Grey

65-0689, F-4D, 48 TFW, RAF lakenheath, August 1975. FS34201 Tan replaces FS30219 Tan/FS 34079 Green/FS 34102 Green over FS36622 Grey. Note the small patch of 30219 behind the codes

Colour Side-views ~

Colour Four-views 3 F-4D

Colour Art David Howley

~ Colour Side-views

;/

I i

; /

;/

66-7554, F-4D, "Trapper", 555 TFS, 432 TRW, 21 July 1971 . "Trapper" on inner NWD possibly in black with red insert. "Snoopy" white with blue helmet, black goggles, brown boots and red searl. FS30219 Tan/FS 34079 Green/FS 34102 Green over FS36622 Grey. Note the unusual serial presentation 67554 instead 01 the correct 66554

I'

Colour Art David Howley

Colour Side-views 4 F-4D

66-8790, F-4D, 23 TFS, 52 TFW, Spangdahlen, circa early 1970s. FS30219 Tan/FS 34079 Green/FS 34102 Green over FS36622 Grey. 23 TFS badge carried on port side

66-7610, F-4D, "08" of 160 TFS, 187 TFG, Alabama ANG, Danelly Field, Montgomery, Al, circa 1984. FS34079 Green/FS34102 Green/FS 36081 Dark Grey wrap-around

65-0742, F-4D, 179 FIS, 148 FIG, Minnesota ANG, Duluth, in June 1987. "Hill Greys" of FS 26118 Dark Grey over FS 26270 Medium Grey

66-7460, F-4D, 111 FIS, 147 FIG, Texas ANG, Ellington in December 1989. "Hill Greys" of FS 26118 Dark Grey over FS 26270 Medium Grey

Colour Side-views ~

Colour Art David Howley

~ Colour Side-views

Colour Side-views 5 RF-4C

65-0B25, RF-4C, 22 TRS, 26 TRW, Tour-Rosieres AFB, France, in 1965. Light Gull Grey (FS 36440) and white

65-0905, RF-4C, 11 TRS, 432 TRW, Udorn RTAFB, circa late 1960's. Very worn appearance with numerous patches, which may indicate that the aircraft is undegoing IRAN (Inspection & Repair As Necessary)

69-0381 , RF-4C, 1 TRS, 10 TRW, RAF Alconbury, July 1985. FS34079 Green/FS34102 Green/FS 36081 Dark Grey wrap-around

69-0370, RF-4C, 38 TRS, 26 TRW, Zweibrucken, circa 1991 . "Hill Greys" of FS 26118 Dark Grey over FS 26270 Medium Grey

Colour Art David Howley

Colour Side-views 6 F-4D

67-0279, F-4E, "The Wreckin Crew", 34 TFS, 388 TFW, Khorat AFB, in 1970. Pilot Maj Don Parkhurst. FS30219 Tan/FS 34079 Green/FS 34102 Green over FS36622 Grey

Serial UNK, F-4E Phantom, "1" of the Thunderbirds, flown by Lt.Col. Tom Swaim in 1972. Note the under-wingtip stripes were not added until 1969

I-' U. S. AIR-F'ORC~

-I --r~---

67-0361 , F-4E, 31 TFW, Homestead AFB, circa mid-1970s. FS34201 Tan/ FS30219 Tan/FS 34079 Green/FS 34102 Green over FS36622 Grey. Note use of FS34201 Tan on rear fuselage and FS30219 Tan on forward fuselage

66-0300, F-4E, 57 FIS, Keflavik, Iceland, circa 1984. Overall FS 16473 ADC Grey

Colour Side-views ~

Colour Art David Howley

~ Colour Side-views

Colour Side-views 7 F-4E/F-4G

72-0143, F-4E, Squadron CO, 334 TFS, 4 TFW, Seymour-Johnson AFB, NC, in September 1988. FS34079 Green/FS34102 Green/FS 36081 Dark Grey wrap-around

69-7208, F-4G, possibly 563 TFS, 37 TFW, George AFB, CA, 1982/3. FS30219 Tan/FS 34079 Green/FS 34102 Green over FS36622 Grey. Badge of the City of Victorville, with text "City of Victorville/Sweet Sixteen"

Paint References NAME FS REFERENCE TAMIYA REVELL GUNZE HOBBY TESTOR / MM HUMBROl

USAF Early

US Gull Grey 36440 325 1729, 1730 129

White 37875 XF2 5 11 1768 34

US Air Force Vietnam

US Dark Green 34079 XF65 67 309 1710 116

US Light Green 34102 303 1713 117

US Tan 30219 1742 11 8

Camouflage Grey 36622 311 1733 28

US Air Force Wrap-around

US Dark Green 34079 XF65 67 309 1710 116

US Light Green 34102 303 1713 117

US Tan 30219 1742 118

US Air Force Eu ropean 1

US Dark Green 34079 XF65 67 309 1710 116

US Light Green 34102 303 1713 117

Dark Grey 36081 301 32

US Air Force Hill Grey I

US Dark Grey 36118 305 1723 125

US Medium Grey 36270 306 1725 126

US Ghost Grey 36375 308 1428, 1728 127

S Air Force Hill Grey II

US Dark Grey 36118 305 1723 125

US Medium Grey 36270 306 1725 126

US Air Force ADC Grey

Light Grey 36473 338 1732 147

Colour Four-views 8 F-4G

I

Colour Art David Howley

69-7212. F-4G. 52 FW. Spangdahlen. Germany. in June 1992. "Hill Greys" of FS 26118 Dark Grey over FS 26270 Medium Grey. Note 5 "mission marks" on the splitter intake

Colour Side-views ~

The F-4E

66-393 of the 1 st TFW snapped at Pease AFB in 1974 wearing three-tone SEA Camouflage with light grey undersides ( via Mark Smith)

-~--

~ Chapter3

During the initial design of the Phantom, several proposals had been considered for a cannon-armed version, however the philosophy of the day was that the air-to-air missile was king and that the internal gun was considered obsolete, and consequently all Phantoms to reach production had been armed exclusively with missiles. However, the all-missile fighter had shown some serious drawbacks in its initial air-to-air battles over Vietnam as the early Sparrow, Falcon, and Sidewinder air-to-air missiles did not perform up to expectations. The Phantoms could carry a podded cannon mounted on the centreline, but it was relatively inaccurate, caused excessive drag which reduced the performance of the aircraft carrying it, and took up a valuable weapons station. An initial F-4 variant with an internal M61 cannon had been proposed by McDonnell to the USAF as early as the March of 1961, but this had met with little enthusiasm. However McDonnell began a new design study for a gun-armed Phantom in late 1964 which fina lly got the attention of the Air Force. The gun-armed 'F-4E' was finally funded in June of 1965 and was destined to be produced in greater numbers than any other single Phantom variant.

The main difficulty in equipping the Phantom with an internal cannon was in finding a place to put it. The solution was found in using a sharper, longer nose like that of the RF-4C reconnaissance version and fitted with an AN/APG-30 radar set beneath which a recontoured section carried a single six-barrel20-mm General Electric M61A1 rotary cannon. The firstYRF-4C (62-12200) was modified to test this new arrangement carrying a cannibalised gunsight from an Air National Guard F-1 OOD and flight test instrumentation carried in a centreline pod. Temporarily redesignated the YF-4E, the modified aircraft first flew on August 7, 1965. After 50 flights , the first aircraft was re-engined with j79-GE-jlB power-plants and the results were sufficiently encouraging to

warrant a further two YF-4Es being produced by modifying an F-4C (63-7445) and an F-4D (65-0713), and these aircraft now had the definitive nose-mounted cannon installation. The second YF-4E had the gun and no radar, but the third had both the gun and the radar. The severe space constraints in the new nose meant that a new ammunition feed system had to be designed for the M61AI cannon, and in addition, the proximity of the gun to the radar set required that very effective vibration dampers and noise/blast eliminators had to be designed. An initial batch of 96 F-4Es was ordered in August 1966 as part of an F-4D contract and the first production F-4E (66-0284) flew on June 30, 1967.

The gun installation underneath the nose precluded the installation of the large radar set that was fitted to the F-4C and F-4D, so the F-4E carried the solid-state Westinghouse AN/APQ-l20 X-band radar which had a smaller antenna, however, due to the late delivery of the AN/ APQ-120 radar,

-- - - -------

ft

IS

Ihe first 30 F-4Es were delivered without any radar at all. The :\N/APQ- 120 was to have been provided with a Hughes-developed Coherent On-Receive Doppler System (CORDS), which it was hoped would make it easier to detect low-flying aircraft up aga inst ground clutter. However, this system proved to be so erratic that the initial deployment was sl ipped from the 35th F-4E to the 120th. Continued problems caused CORDS to be cancelled on January 2, 1968. The F-4E was to also to have been fitted with the AN/APS- I07 radar homing and warning sys tem (RHAW), but this equipment performed so unsatisfactorily that the first 67 F-4Es were delivered without any RHAW at all.

The weight of the gun and its 639-round ammunition drum was counterbalanced by fitting an additional 95-gallon iuel tank in the rear fuselage, bringing total internal fuel capacity to 1993 gallons, and the upper fin -mounted pitot was relocated to the extreme nose. The F-4E retained the

. ~

semi-recessed AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air miss iles and the external store stat ions of the earlier variants and used a pair of J79-GE-17. In the interest of eliminat ing excess weight, the powered folding wi ng mechanism of the earlier USAF Phantoms was finally eliminated as was the emergency ram-air turbine on the upper rear fuselage. It turned out that the elimination of the emergency ram-air turbine was a mistake, and some sort of emergency power source was needed in case of engine failure. Consequently, starting with Block 40 (68-0452), an auxiliary power unit was added underneath the stabilator. However, it was only a battery-powered electrically-driven hydraulic pump and was not a small turbine engine. It provided just enough control to allow time for ejection, and probably would not last long enough to allow a landing. The second production F-4E (66-0285) flew for the first time on September II , 1967 and differed from 66-0285 by hav ing a slotted stabilator which was added in

Dressed in 'Lizard' garb at Nellis AFB in Nevada is the Commander's aircraft from the 37th TFW ( via Marie Smith)

A smart polka-dot rudder adorns this Seymour-Johnson F-4E 72-142 ( via Marie Smith)

TheF-4E ~

68-400, a short-nosed F-4E with plenty of weathering sits on the George AFB ramp, and was part of the 479th TFW ( via Mark Smith)

A fearsome 'Spook' 68-329 from Osan AFB ( via Glenn Sands)

Looking spruce and ready for action is 67-361 from the 31 st TFW ( Wa Mark Smilh)

~ Chapter 3

order to give greater effectiveness, helpi ng to counteract the increased weight in the nose, and this aircraft also introduced the long 'turkey feather' afterburner, which became a trademark of the F-4E. From the aircraft of Block 42, the more advanced AN/APR-36/37 radar and homing warning system was fitted, as this was a more comprehensive set than the troublesome APS-1D7, and was served by four flat , circular, spira l receiving antenna, one on each side of the

extreme end of the rear fuselage facing aft, and one at the front of each wingtip fac ing forward .

At block 48 the main wingbox was given thicker lower skins, and a Northrop-designed ASX-l electro-optical TISEO Target Identification System Electro-Optical target acquisit ion and tracking sensor was added in a pod mounted on the inner left wing leading edge, consist ing of a TV camera and a powerful1 200mm zoom lens. When the Block 48 aircraft were

:r later upgraded to ARN-IOI standards, the ASN-63 inertial navigation system, the ASQ-9 1 weapons release computer, and the ASN-46A analogue navigat ion computer set were deleted whilst the ASG-26 lead computing optical gunsight was improved and made easier to use, with weapons control switches and displays also made easier to read.

The most significant change on the F-4E was the replacement of the blown leading-edge wing droops of earl ier Phantoms by slats. This was done in the interest of obtaining enhanced combat manoeuvrabili ty, which had been one of the Phantom's weak points. The outer leading-edge slats were driven by a hydrau lic jack and terminated in a large 'dogtooth' at the inboard end where the wing fo lding joint had once been. Immediately downstream of the dogtooth edge was a small wing fence. The inboard wing was also fitted with powered slats which terminated about three feet from the root. The first production F-4E to be fitted with slats was 71-0237, but the first to actually fly with slats was 71-0238 which took its maiden fl ight on February I I, 1972. The addition of these slats greatly enhanced the manoeuvring performance, and the USAF decided to retrofit just about every surviving F-4E except for those serving wi th the Thunderbirds.

By block 56 the AN/APR-36/37 system was replaced by the Itek AN/ALR-46 RHAWS with fast digital processing capability and a cockpit display plus automatic control of jamming assets, and at about the same time, all F-4Es were wired to be able to take two electronic jammer pods (which were usually the West inghouse ALQ-13I) and were fitted with an ANI APX-80 IFF controller in the cockpit. In addition, the aircraft were given the capability of carrying an optional removable KB-18A strike camera in the right front Sparrow slot. Interestingly in the post-Vietnam era, the ECM

66-330 a short-nosed F-4E from the 1 st TFW ( via Glenn Sands)

74-652 from the 32 TFS based at Soesterberg in Holland taxies in carrying an ALQ-119 ECM pod and TISEO on the wing ( via Mark Smith)

Home on the Range! 67-270 with MERs filted with practice bombs tops up from a KC-10 and heads for the hills ( Curtiss Knowles)

TheF-4E ~

Wearing a curious shade of green instead of the familiar tan, 69-267 from the 35 TFW at George AFB is under tow ( via Mark Smith)

68-411 looking resplendent in its 'Hill Grey' scheme ( Author's Collection)

68-4471rom the 1st TFW has a weary weathered look (4:> via Mark Smith)

~ Chapter3

pods introduced such as the ALQ- 11 9, QRC-80-01, ALQ-13I, and ALQ-184 could not be carried in the right front Sparrow well because of the longer nose gear door and the F-4Es could only carry an ECM pod in the left front Sparrow well or on the inboard weapons pylons. The AVQ-23A/B Pave Spike laser target designator and rangefinder system was fitted to several later F-4Es and was retrofitted to some earlier aircraft, and this system was the first laser designation pod method designed to provide the capability of autonomous delivery of laser guided bombs at night. It was originally planned to equip 180 F-4Es with this system, but because of delays and development problems the actual number equipped was substantially lower. The pod was too large to be fully compatible with the F-4E, and it had to be carried on the centreline station, replacing the 600-gallon external fue l tank and taking up va luable bomb-carriage space. Also retrofitted to Block 48 aircraft was the AN/ AVQ-

26 Pave Tack infrared/laser target designator, as well as the AN/ ASX-I electro-optical target identification system. One major advance, retro-fitted to some 180 TISEO equipped F-4Es, was the Lear Siegler AN/ARN-IO I(V) digital navigational/attack system, an update which started in the autumn of 1977, and aircraft carrying this sys tem could be distinguished by the presence of a 'doghouse' antenna and blade aer ial on the fuselage spine and dissipator an tennae on the tail and wings . This fit changed the avionics from analogue to digital and increasing the Phantom's capabilities. Three Missouri ANG F-4Es were fitted with a new single-piece blown windshield in the late 1980's, however this was never adopted as a fleet-wide fit.

The F-4E stayed in production for twelve years, and a total of 1387 F-4Es were built before production came to an end . 993 of these machines were intended for the USAF, with the remaining 394 being delivered new to foreign customers. 24

e

on

al

Some of Bitburg's F-4Es were decorated for the USAF's bi-centennial ( via Glenn Sands)

USAF F-4Es were taken from store and loaned to foreign customers, and 191 were passed on to fo reign customers from USAF stocks. The last F-4E (an F-4E intended fo r Korea) left the production line at McDonnell on October 25, 1979 br inging domestic production of the Phantom to an end; however license production continued for a while longer in Japan.

The Final Countdown The F-4E began be supplanted in USAF frontline units by the newer F-1 5 Eagle starting in 1975 and by the F- 16 starting in 1979. For the USAF in Europe, the last F-4Es fl ew with the

On the ramp at George AFB is 66-350 wearing wrap-around three-tone camouflage and low-vis black markings, being prepared for flight. Note the practice rocket launchers ( Author's Coffeetion)

68-387 of the California Air National Guard ( via Glenn Sands)

Looking factory fresh is 67-392 from the Air Force Reserve ( via Marie Smith)

The F-4E ~

67-349, flagship of the 347th TFW based at Moody AFB ( via Marl< Smith)

A fine aerial study 01 the F-4E, in this case 69-213 from the 35th TFW at George AFB ( via Marl< Smith)

Looking very much worse for wear, 66-340 looks lor a new owner! ( via Gtenn Sands)

~ Chapter3

52nd TFW at Spangdahlem in Germany which re-equipped with F-16s in 1988, and in the Pacific theatre the last two F-4E squadrons converted to F-16C/Ds in 1989. The TAC kept its F-4Es a bit longer, not relinquishing its machines until the early 1990s. By the time of Desert Storm in January 1991, almost all of the F-4Es had been withdrawn from ac tive duty USAF units, having been passed along to foreign customers or placed in storage. Nevertheless, a handful of Pave Tack capable F-4Es flew with the 7440th Composite Wing based at lncirlik AFB in Turkey, operat ing against targets in north-western Iraq. The F-4E served briefly with the Air National Guard and the last aircraft left Guard service in 1991, when the 113th TFS of the Missouri ANG converted to F-16C/D fighters.

Front Line F-4E Operators 1st Tactical Fighter Wing, MacDill AFB, Florida, 1970-1975. Moved to Langley AFB, VA in June 1975 and converted to F-15 Eagle. 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing, 1974-1991. Upgraded to F-4E by late 1974. Moved to ClarkAB, Philippines Sept 16, 1974 to replace the 406th FW. Last F-4Es went to AMARC at the same time the unit was transferred to Elmendorf AFB in 1991. 4th Tactical Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, 1970-1990. Re-equipped wi th F-15E Strike Eagle by 1990. 15th Tact ical Fighter Wing, MacDiU AFB, Florida. Inactivated 1970, assets reassigned to 1st TFW. 21st Composite Wing, 21st Tactical Fighter Wing, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, 1970-1 982.

Je

31st Tactical Fighter Wing, Homestead AFB, Florida, 1970-1987. 32nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, 1969-1978. 33rd Tactical Fighter Wing, Eglin AFB, Florida, to1979. 35th Tactical Fighter Wing 36th Tactical Fighter Wing 37th Tactical Fighter Wing 49th Tactical Fighter Wing 50th Tactical Fighter Wi ng 51 st Fighter Interceptor Wing, Osan AB, Korea. 52nd Tactical Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem AB, Germany. 54th Tactical Fighter Wing, Kunsan AB, Korea. Activated on June 15,1970 taking the place of the reassigned 354th TFW. Two F-4E units were attached: the 16th TFS, 33rd TFW, 478th TFS. Inactivated Oct 31,1970. 56th Tactical Fighter Wing, MacDill AFB, Florida. 57th Fighter Weapons Wing, Nell is AFB, Nevada. 57th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Keflavik AB, Iceland. 86th Tact ical Fighter Wing, Ramstein AB, Germany. 347th Tactical Fighter Wing, Moody AFB, Georgia, 1975-1988. 68th TFS, 70th TFS, 339th TFS (May 1976-Sept 1983), 69th TFS (Sept 1983-1988).

354th Tact ical Fighter Wing, Kunsan AB, Korea. Wi ng's assets transferred to the 54th TFW at Myrtle Beach AFB, SC on June 14, 1970. 366th Tactical Fighter Wing. 4th FTS and 421 st TFS arrived from CONUS in April 1969 with F-4Es to join the F-4Ds at Da Nang AB. Both left in May of 1972 to join the 432nd TRW at Takhli RTAFB. 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, Korat RTAFB, Thailand. 405th Fighter Wing 432nd Tactical Fighter Wing 3274th Test Squadron

4485th Test Squadron 4425th Fighter Weapons Wing 4531th TFW

Second Line F-4E Units Two Air Force Reserve squadrons received F-4Es. These were the 457th TFS of the 20lth TFW, which received F-4Es in 1987, and the 704th TFS of the 924th TFG, receiving F-4Es in 1989. Both of these squadrons traded-in their F-4Es for F-16A/B fighters in 1991.

F-4Es began to reach the Air Nat ional Guard in 1985, the aircraft having been fo rmer USAF planes which had been removed from active service. The following ANG squadrons were equipped with F-4Es.

110th TFS, 131st TFW, Missouri ANG 113th TFS, 181st TFG, Indiana ANG 141st TFS, 108th TFW, New Jersey ANG 163rd TFS, 122nd TFW, Indiana ANG 196th TFS, 163rd TFG, California ANG

69-256 from Bitburg

A variation on the Hill Grey scheme was the 'Cloud' paint job applied to the Texas ANG for a Gunsmoke Exercise ( Author's Collection)

The 5000th Phantom built ( McDonnell Douglas)

The 50 57th and last SI. louis built Phantom ( McDonnell Douglas)

TheF-4E ~

Hard worked, and bleached by the sun, this short-nosed F-4E from the 34th TFS at Korat AFB awaits its crew (

Carrying a brace of AGM-12 'Bullpup' missiles and 500lb bombs this shortnosed F-4E is from the 469th TFS ( via Glenn Sands)

Devoid of any tanks or ordnance this shortnosed F-4E sits in its revetment at Karat RTAB na Glenn Sands)

Looking mean is 71-283, a MiG Killer in its own right ( via Glenn Sands)

Loaded with 'iron' 67-219 sits on the 'alertramp' at Karat RTAB, and is one of the 35 aircraft with a tan radome ( viaGlennSands)

70-208 'The Come The Judge' ( J.W Boyce)

TheF-4E ~

70-279 'Wreckin Crew ' complete with Sharkmouth sits with empty Multiple Ejector Racks on its wings at Korat in 1970 ( JW Boyce)

366th TFW 'Gunfighters', this emblem is on both sides. Black 'Phantom' and lettering, medium blue background, yellow shells, red and white flame, gun pod, sneakers and outline all in white ( A Piccirillo)

Refuelling prior to target run. The F-4E in the foreground has fuse extenders on its bombs, making them the consummate 'daisy cutters' ( via Glenn sands)

~ Chapter3

An F-4D of the 435 TFS 8th TFW at Ubon's 'Eagle Squadron '. This is the CO's aircrafl, and note the 'Wollpack Lead' legend on the cockpit air intake ( A Piccirillo)

A cheery smile for the camera as this 'short-nosed' F-4E taxies out ( J.W Boyce)

Battle damage sustained by an F-4E ( J.W Boyce)

70-279 'Wreckin Crew ' ( J.W Boyce)

A well worn F-4E is towed out to be prepared for another mission ( J.w Boyce) An F-4E 67-230 en route to target with fuse extenders on its bomb load ( J.w Boyce)

A 469 TFS aircraft 'Uttle Chris' at Korat RTAB ( via Glenn Sands)

The F-4E ~

A line study 01 a 57 FIS F-4E ( Glenn Sands)

Fully marked. but still in camouflage colours. 66-328 burns some rubber ( Glenn Sands)

66-336 taken at Eglin AFB in 1982 ( Glenn Sands)

~ Chapter3

Keflavik F-4E's

The 57 Fighter Interceptor Squadron based at Keflav ik in Iceland was amongst the more unusual F-4E units in that its aircraft were employed on Air Defence duties and were the only Air Force 'E's to be painted in overa ll Air Defence Grey (FS 16473). The aircraft were from Block 33 with leading-edge manoeuvring slats and were employed on long-range patrols across the extreme North Atlantic. often intercepting Soviet Tu-95 Bears.

q U. S. AlUQRCE

.- I~

With its unique knight's helmet emblem on the tail, 66-300 awaits another crew (@GlennSands)

The splitter plate was an ideal canvas for the U.S. colours (C1 Michael Baldock)

4{-./ -.. ..........

'\ \

66-336 touches down at Keflavik ( Autho(s COllection)

The F-4E ~

l

Based at Clark AFB in the Philippines and wearing the 'European l ' colour scheme, 68-483 belonged to the 3rd TFW (~ via Marl< Smith)

A Spangdahlem Phantom unleashes a fearsome warload ( USAF)

Another Clark AFB 'Spook', this time in wrap-around SEA garb, but fhe Sharksmouth is still splendid! ( via Marl< Smith)

~ Chapter3

Sharksmouth

The elongated shape of the F-4E's nose with its shallow radome and undernose gun made it an ideal canvas for the venerated Sharksmouth! Many such examples were painted on the F-4E during its service li fe and here are just a few examples.

Another Ramstein Phantom with a more restrained nose! Note the yellow A on the tail, worn as an exercise marking, and also note the 'Fast Track' pod in the forward Sparrow well ("' via Mark Smith)

Osan based 69-303 in 'Lizard' ( Wa Mark Smith)

The pride of St.louis, with the McDonnell Douglas plant in the background, this double MiG-Killer from the 131 stTFW looks quite splendid it its Hill Grey scheme ( Author's Collection)

The F-4E ~

Not so much a Sharksmouth, more a FlameMouth, the 335th TFS' Commander's aircraft is nonetheless spectacular! ( via Mark Smfth)

68337 from the 'Silver lobos' and a FiveStar MiGKiller to boot, proudly wears the 'Shark' ( via Mark Smith)

Perhaps the most fearsome of the Sharksmouths were the ones applied to the Ramstein 'Spooks' in the early 1980's ( via Glenn Sands)

~ Chapter3

F-4E in Detail

"M6 1,1. 1C.UI'l 1. D"~USU l . "TOU.UlIe OUtCIl O" COI'IIlE(n CU .. FEEOCHun S. DRUNUITIhIIT ANo/IIUHIfIOtHOUTER)DIIUM 1. DRUM EHTllAI'ICfUHtT I. RlTURM (HUff ' . PALU, ASSU'ILY

10. "TOUULICORIVEASSEMII LT 11. CU" Fn:OUHIT

11

The F-4E carried a nose-mounted General Electric M61A1 20mm Gatling cannon. Etectrically driven, this six-barrel gun was capable of firing 6,000 rounds per minute and came with a 640 round drum ( Author's Collection)

68-533 from the 'New Jersey Tigers' with the long cannon muzzle ( Aulhor'S Colleclion)

66-319 with the short gun muzzle ( Author's Colleclion)

The F-4E's GE M61A1 assembly ( Wa Mark Smith)

Two types of muzzle fairings were used on the F-4E, short and long types. The long fairing covered the MIDAS 4 gun gas diffuser which eliminated gas ingestion into the engines ( McDonnell Doug/as)

TheF-4E ~

F-4E in Detail

Airplane Loading

Aircraft Loadout Chart ( McDonnell Douglas)

64-468 showing the copious amount of stencil data applied to the F-4 after the Vietnam War ( via Mark Smilli)

A brace of AGM-65 Mavericks on the inner wing pylon (Author's Colleetion)

~ Chapter 3

A MER (Multiple Ejector Rack) on the inner wing pylon. Note also the chaff and flare dispenser scabbed to the outer face of the pylon ( Aulliors Colleclion)

A Westinghouse AN/ASQ-153 Pave Spike Pod in the forward Sparrow missile bay ( AUlhors Colleelion)

The slatted wing with its manoeuvring flaps ( Aullior's Colleelion)

F-4E in Detail

Pylon fitment chart ( McDof1lJell Doug/as)

Open port engine bay access panel ( Author's Collection)

Open starboard engine bay access panel ( Author's Collection)

The power behind the Phantom. The General Electric J79 engine ( McDonnell Doug/as)

rn PUSH o,eN !!IUnON TO .... ISE CANOPY.

DII'IIISS lunON IN SUP TO Rnun LADon

Canopy opening buttons and internal step ( McDonnell Doug/as)

Detail of the afterburner cans ( Author's Collection)

TheF-4E ~

F-4E in Detail

A view of the open engine access bay from below ( Author's Collection)

F4E hazardous areas chart ( McDonnell Douglas)

68534 carries a single AGM45 Maverick missile ( USAF)

~ Chapter3

EJECTIO N SEAT

A J79 on its dolly waiting for upload to a Phantom ( Author's Collection)

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F-4E in Detail

looking upwards into the main wheel well (~Author's Collection)

A Bitburg based F-4E carrying the largely unsuccessful Hughes Falcon missiles ( via Mark Smith)

Parachute housing at the rear of the F-4E ( Author's Collection)

One of the many duties of the F-4 was target towing. and here Ramstein based 68386 carries a target Dart and winch cable ( Glenn Sands)

The F-4E ~

The TISEO oplics were lifted 10 the inner left wing ( Author's Collection)

The TISEO system ( Northrop)

~ Chapter3

Northrop TISEO

yo better aid visual identification of targets Block 48 Phantoms were fitted with a Northrop-designed AN/ASX-1 electro-optical 'TISEO' (Target Identification System

Electro-Optical) target acquisition and tracking sensor, which was mounted on the inner left wing leading edge The ANI ASX-l provided sharp close-up images of hostile aircraft outside of visual range. Typical identification ranges quoted were: a DC-IO at 8S miles, an F- lll at 40 miles, a C-130 at 3S miles and an F-S at 10 miles.

Wearing the 'European l ' camouflage scheme and carrying an ALQ-131 jammer pod, Spangdahlem based 74-630 displays its TISEO pod as part of the AN/ARN-1 01 (V) upgrade ( via Glenn Sands)

TISEO in detail ( via Glenn Sands)

30

30

30

30 30

30

The TISEO cockpit modes ( McDDnnell DDuglas)

SPOrl lNG FiEl D O F V l fW Wlnl TISEO IN TRACK MODE

1. T ARG ET 2. PFQV M ARKERS 3 , TISE O C ROSSH A IR -C ROSS HAIR INDICATES LINE

O F S IGHT T O TA RGET B EING TRACKED. 4. TRAC K WINDOW _ WIN DOW EXPANDS PROPORTIONALLY

IN SIZE TO HO V TR ACKE R V IDEO - INDICATES TISEO OPTICAL L OC K .Q N .

SPOTTING F iEl D 01 view WITH TISEO AND RADAR IN TRA CK MODE

\. T AR GET 2 . PFOV M A RKER S J . RADAR CR OSSH AIR - CROSSHAIR DISPLAYS RADAR

ANTEN NA LIN E OF SIGHT T O TARGET. CROSSHA1A IS DISPLAY EO ONl Y AFTER RADAR TRACK AND THE ANTENNA LINE OF SIGHT TO TARGET IS WITHIN THE TISEO FIELD OF VIEW . WITH TISEO AND RADAR TRACKING SAME TARGET , C ROSSHAIRS ARE SUPERIMPOSED.

4 . TISEO CROSSHAIR S. RANGE SYMBOL - S YMBOL DISPLAYS RADAR RANGE

TO TARGET AN D IS OISPLAYED ONLY AFTER RADAR LOCK -ON IN AIR TO AIR MODE . TRACK WINDOW

PREC ISION FIELD O F V IEW WITH TISEO IN TRACK MODE

TARGET TRACK WINDOW - WINDOW EXPANDS PROPORTIONALLY IN SIZE TO TRACKING VIDEO. TISEO CROSSHAIA - CROSSHAIR INDICATES LINE O F SIGHT TO TARGET BEING TRACKED.

PRECISION FIELD Of VIEW WITH TISEO AND RADAR IN TRACK MOOE

1. TARGET 2 . TISEO TRACK WINDOW J . RADAR CROSS HAIR

TISEO C ROSS HA IR RANGE SYM BOL

TheF-4E ~

-------------- -------

Spangdahlem based F-4E 74-052 showing its AN/ARN-1 01 (V) conliguration ( Aultro,-, colleclion)

Inside the back seat showing the additional control panel behind the radar stick ( Author's collection)

~ Chapter 3

...--. - -------

AN/ARN-1 01 (V) Modification

The Lear Siegler AN/ARN-IOI(V) (or 'Arnie' in Air Force parlance) upgrade was applied to some 180 TISEO-equipped block 48 F-4E's. This retro-fit changed

their avionics from analogue to digital making these 'E's entirely different aircraft in terms of capability. Externally most noticeable was the addition of a 'doghouse' fairing on the spine and new antennae on the rear spine and behind the cockpit, along with static dissipators which were fitted to the wing tips, fuel dump pipe, and the top and rear face of the tailfin. In

The 'doghouse' fairing on the spine ( Author's collection)

practice, however, only those dissipators on the tail were carried. There were no major changes in the front cockpit, however in

the WSO's station a digital display was added beneath the RHAW scope and a new keypad fitted behind the radar control handle. Additionally the ASN-63 inertial navigation system, the ASQ-91 weapons release computer, and the ASN-46A analogue navigation computer set were deleted whilst the ASG-26 lead computing optical gun sight was improved.

AN/ANR- lOl Fairing

Static Disipators on Tail

The positioning of the AN/ARN-1 01 (V)'s main components is seen here on the AirDoc resin conversion set instructions

A new digital display was added beneath the RHAW ( Author's collection)

Thef-4E ~

F-4E Cockpit

For such a large aircraft the F-4E's front and rear cockpits were tightly packed and as the aircraft matured and different sensors and armament were fitted, so changes in both cockpits were necessary to control any used and new equipment.

Front cockpit ( Author's collection)

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Throttle Levers ( McDonnell Doug/as)

~ Chapter3

Froni cockpit ( Aulhor's colleclion)

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F-4E Cockpit

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Fronl cockpit before wing slats were fitted ( McDonnell Doug/as)

Front cockpit diagram ( McDonnell Doug/as)

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F-4E Cockpit

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Front cockpit control panels 1 ( McDoonell Douglas)

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Rear cockpit control panels 1 ( McDo"'ell Douglas)

~ Chapter3

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Front cockpit control panels 2 ( McDonnell Douglas)

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Rear cockpit control panels 2 ( McDonnell Doug/as)

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F-4E Cockpit

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Rear cockpit with Maverick missile controls fitted ( McDonnell Douglas)

Rear cockpit ( McDonnell Doug/as)

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Rear cockpit ( Aulhor's colleclion)

REAR COCKPIT /

F.4E LiiIG!II I "H:;::~.;:: '::J

f r. r,'.l

The F-4G

A classic shot of an F-4G carrying HARM missiles ( via Tony Thomborough)

A European 1 camouflaged F-4G 69-286 from Spangdahlem in Germany ( via Glenn Sands)

~ Chapter4

F -4C airframes were converted to the EF-4C/D Wild Weasel IV configuration, but they suffered from a number of deficiencies which limited their combat effectiveness, as, for example, they were unable to carry the Standard ARM, and consequently the EF-4C/D was seen only as an interim Wild Weasel aircraft , pending the introduction of a more suitable type. The F-4G designation applied to 116 F-4Es which were converted to the Wild Weasel role and these aircraft should not be confused with the US Navy's F-4G which was the designation applied to twelve F-4Bs fitted with automat ic carrier landing systems.

A YF-4E (65-0713 ) was fitted with a mock-up installation of the ANI APR-38 HAWC (Homing Radar And Warning Computer) attack warning system, the RHAWS, and the results were sufficiently satisfactory that the decision was made to convert 116 low-time F-4E airframes for the anti-SAM role and the code name 'Wild Weasel V' was assigned to the projec t. F-4E 69-7254 served as the YF-4G prototype, although it was originally known as the F-4E Advanced Wild Weasel, and this aircraft was fitted with leading-edge manoeuvring slats. The most notable external modification was the removal of the M61Al cannon and its ammunition drum and its replacement by a glass fibre under-nose fa iring that housed forward and side-looking radar antenna and line replacement units for the AN/APR-38 radar warning and attack system. Initially developed by IBM Federal Systems under the TAC Pave Strike program, the APR-38 was structured around a Texas Instruments general purpose computer, a Loral control indicator set and several IBM receivers. This system could be reprogrammed at squadron level, and was able to identify known enemy air-defence radar sys tems and display their locations in a predetermined order of priority. The under-nose fairing also had a ram inlet that admitted cooling air to the interior, which helped to cool the av ionics systems inside the nose. The centreline station was modified to carry an

F-15 style 600lb fuel tank freeing up the wing stations for weaponry and smokeless j79-GE-17E engines.

There were a total of 52 receiving and emitting antenna to be found all over the aircraft, the main ones being located in the nose fair ing with others being housed in a pod mounted on top of the fin. Eight of the blade antennas that protruded from the fuselage provided low-band omnidirectional signal reception, with five others being directional and capable of giving the threat bearing on the display in the rear cockpit. The main radar of the F-4G was the same Westinghouse ANI APQ- 120 that was fitted to the F-4E but with a new digital processor, and as with the F-4E aft-firing Tracor ALE-40 chaff and flare launchers were

fitted to the side of the wing pylons The specialised role of the F-4G becomes more apparent

in the cockpit. The front station retained most of the F-4E's instrumentation but a warning and control panel was added together with a plan position indicator (PPJ) scope which repeated range and azimuth data from the EWO's display. The lead computing gunsight was modified to accept inputs from the RHAW and a red reticle indicated the location of the designated emitter wh ile a green cross was relative to the aircraft's ground track. In the backseat the 'Electronic Warfare Officer' (EWO) or 'Bear' (in his bear-pit) as he was in Wild Weasel parlance, had three main displays: a plan-position indicator, a panoramic analysis display, and a homing indicator, with the plan-position indicator as already noted being duplicated on the pilot's control panel. The APQ-120 radar scope was retained but the instrument panel was enlarged, almost up to the canopy frame, with all flight instruments laid out horizontally across the top. These included the attitude, airspeed, altimeter and some navigation displays. The three APR- 38 displays were arranged beneath these. The large rectangular PPI scope display was to the left, the smaller panoramic/analysis scope in the centre and the small homing and attack display at the upper right. The PPI scope displayed up to 15 of the highest priority threats. Symbols were used; 'A' for AAA sites, 3 for SA-3 and emitter band designation and T for unknown threats. Threats were designated by the EWO with a diamond-shaped cursor over the threat symbol. Threat range, bearing and aircraft magnetic heading were then displayed, and if a weapon was selected a footprint display could then be called up.

In support of its mission, the F-4G could carry the AGM-45 Shrike and the AGM-78 Standard an ti-radiat ion missiles in its 'hunter' role, as well as bombs, Rockeye Cluster Munitions, GBU-15 glide bombs and AGM-65 TV or infra-red Maverick air-to-surface missiles in its hunter-killer role. The Texas Instruments AGM-45 Shrike was the first missile specifically designed for the anti-radiation role and was based in part on the Sparrow air-to-air missile and had more or less the same basic configuration. The Shrike had a launch weight of about 390 pounds and carried a 145 pound explosive warhead and a range of around 18 to 25 miles with guidance being provided by a monopulse crystal video receiver. When the receiver in the missile's nose locked onto a target, the crew fired the missile. After launch, the missile flew a ballistic path until the control system was activated. At that time, the receiver onboard the Shrike began updating the guidance by determining the direction of the

The last user 01 the F-4G was the Idaho Air National Guard (ro Author's Collection)

TheF-4G ~

An F-4G takes on gas ( Author's CoJ/ecUon)

68-304 from the 35th TFW bristling with stencils! ( via Glenn 5ands)

~ Chapter4

hostile radiation, and the miss ile then homed onto the enemy radar signal. In Vietnam, the initial experience with the Shrike was rather disappointing. After some trial and error, the enemy found they could 'spoof' the Shrike by simply turning their radars which would cause the Shrike to lose its lock and fall out of control. In addition, the receiver of the Shrike was not able to deal with enemy radars that were frequency-agi le; so all that the enemy had to do to defeat a Shrike attack was to switch his radar to a different frequency. The General Dynamics AGM -78 Standard Anti-Radiation Miss ile was an attempt to correct some of the deficiencies of the Shrike. It had a longer range and a larger warhead and was based on the Standard RIM-66A ship-to-air miss ile. This missile had a launch weight of about 1,400 pounds and carried a 2lS-pound warhead to a maximum range was about 3S miles. The miss ile fl ew on a dual-thrust rocket motor and steered with tail controls and very low-aspect ratio fixed wings. The Standard ARM first appeared in service in 1968 . The first vers ion of the Standard had the simple Shri ke seeker, but later vers ions had the Maxson

broadband radiation seeker wi th memory circuits to deal with radar shutdown tactics.

In later yea rs , the Texas Instruments AGM-88 HARM High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile was introduced , offering a greatly enhanced kill capability and greater launch versatility. It was designed to provide much higher speeds and much quicker target acquisi tion times so that enemy radars could be destroyed before they had a chance to be switched off or take other sorts of evasive ac tions. HA RM had a launch weight of some 800 pounds with an effective range of 17 miles and carried a fragmentation warhead which destroyed the target by producing a deadly shower of steel cubes. There were three bas ic modes of operation for the HARM: Self Protect, Target of Opportunity, and Pre-Briefed. In the Self- Protect mode, the launching aircraft's sys tems detect the threat and assign its priority. The aircra ft's on-board computers then pass along the data to the HARM's computer and the missile is then launched. The HARM can continue to fly toward the target even if the enemy radar is switched off. In the Target of Opportunity

mode, the HARM's sensitive seeker is used to help to determine when to launch against a previously unknown threat. In the Pre-Briefed mode, the HARM can be programmed on the ground for up to three known types of enemy radar emissions. Once in the air, the launching aircraft can fire the HARM blind in the general direct ion of these known enemy radar emitters. If they are silent, the HARM wi ll self-destruct, but if an enemy site begins to radiate, the HARM wi ll au tomatically home in on it.

For self-protection, the F-4G could carry up to four AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles on the sides of the inboard underwing pylons. In addition, four AIM-7 Sparrows could be carried in the underfuselage slots, however, the left front slot was often taken up by the insta llation of a ALQ-119- I 2, 14 or an ALQ- 141 jammer pod although the jammers were often turned off so as not to interfere with the RHAW.

All of the F-4Gs were rebuilds of Block 42 to 45 F-4Es. The first of these aircraft (69-7254) was modified by McDonnell and began flight trials in December of 1975. Subsequent F-4G aircraft were modified by the Air Force at Hill AFB in Utah with the last modification completed in 198 I. In the April of 1978 the first F-4Gs were issued to the 39th TFTS of the 35th TFW, based at George AFB in California . In 1989, the 37th TFW was transferred to Tonopah, Nevada to take over the operation of the F- 11 7, and turned their F-4Gs back over to the 35th TFW. 1979 saw the fi rst F-4Gs issued to the 52nd TFW based at Spangdahlem AFB in Germany and in the same year, F-4Gs were assigned to the 90th TFS of the 3rd TFW based at Clark AFB in the Philippines. A two-part Performance

Update Program (PUP) was undertaken in the mid-1980s with the first phase designed to expand the capability of the on -board computer by adding a new Unisys CP-1674 digita l processor and the second upgraded of the APR-38 to APR-47 standards.

The F-4G was the last version of the Phantom to remain in front-line service with the USAF and follow ing the Gulf War and the general defence drawdown after the collapse of the Warsaw Pact, many USAF F-4Gs were turned over to the Air National Guard. On Apri l 12, 1991, the Department of Defence announced that the F-4Gs would all be reassigned to ANG un its. Under th is plan, the 90th FS at Clark AB in the Philippines was scheduled to convert from F-4E/Gs to F-15Es and move to Alaska. The 35th FW at George AFB in California was to be inactivated, and the 52nd FW at Spangdahlem AB in Germany was to lose all of its F-4Gs and these were to be transferred to the Idaho and Kentucky

~- SP', 52 TFW .

__ -=:;:;;::c-::-.:--::~---

One of the Operation 'Provide Comfort' F-4G's exits its barn atlncerlik in Turkey (

A superb shot of a fully laden F-4G with copious amounts of stencilling! ( via Glenn Sands)

Showing the tail code of the 35th TFW, this Hill Grey II Weasel looks almost pristine. Subdued scheme 'Weasels' appearing in 1987 ( Author's Collection)

An F-4G from the Operational Test unit ( Author's Collection)

~ Chapter4

ANG. The 190th TRS of the Idaho ANG began its conversion from the RF-4C to the F-4G in June of 1991 and another ANG RF-4C unit, the 192nd TRS from where had been scheduled to convert to the F-4G (and had even painted F-4G 69-7580 in its distinctive High Rollers insignia), but the Defence Department changed its mind in 1991, and the Idaho ANG was to be the only ANG unit to operate the F-4G.

However the combat experience of Desert Storm indicated that the phase-out of the F-4G was premature, and a new front line squadron, the 561st FS of the 57th FW, was activated at Nellis AFB with the parent unit of the 561 st being redesignated 57th Wing in April 1993. Also in 1993 the Spangdahlem based Weasels deployed to Incirlik in Turkey in support of Operation Provide Comfort, the enforcement of the no- fly zone over northern Iraq, returning to Germany at the end of 1993. However, the need to provide Wild Weasels to support Operation Southern

Watch in Saudi Arabia and Operation Provide Comfort in Turkey resulted in the 52nd FW retaining a few F-4Gs until February 1994. The 81st TFS returned their last F-4Gs to the USA on March 18,1994 and these were to be the last US-operated Phantoms to be based in Europe.

In April 1993, the 124th FW of the Idaho ANG took over this responsibi lity and was ass igned to act ive duty in Saudi Arabia to support Operation Southern Watch, and one of these ANG F-4Gs fired an AGM-88 HARM missile in response to a threaten ing Iraqi radar site near Basra. The Idaho ANG F-4Gs were later transferred to Incirlik AB in Turkey to support Operation Provide Comfort II, and overall there were a total of four deployments to the Gulf, the last aircraft returning to the USA in December 1995.

The F-1 6 replaced the F-4G in its Wild Weasel role and the last active USAF F-4G unit, the 561st Fighter Squadron, was inactivated at Nellis AFB in March of 1996 and its aircraft placed in storage. This was fo llowed on Apri l 20, 1996, with the last F-4Gs being withdrawn by the 124th FW of the Idaho ANG, and these were consigned to the boneyard at Davis Monthan AFB marking the fina l departure of the Phantom from active service with any American unit. During 199 J, it was decided that those F-4Gs not transferred to the ANG or placed in storage would be converted into drones under the designation QF-4G. Tracor Flight Systems of Austin, Texas was to do the conversion work, and following the retirement of the type other airframes were slated for conversion by BAe Systems for drone work (see separate chapter for the QF-4 drone details) .

The F-4G Squadrons USAF:

3rd TFW, 90th TFS 35th TFW 37th TFW (56 lth TFS, 563rd TFS, 562nd TFTS) 52nd TFW, 81st TFS 57th FW, 56lth FS 4485th Tes t Squadron 7440th Composite Wing

Air National Guard: 189th TRTF, 124th TRG, Idaho ANG

190th FS, 124th FG, Idaho ANG

Aircraft Serials

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Initial batch of 11 5 F-4Gs modified at the Ogden Air Logist ics Centre and initia lly fitted with the AN/APR-38 69-0236/0243,69-0245/0248, 69-0250/0255, 69-0257/0259,69-0261,69-0263,69-0265,69-0267,69-0269/0275,69-0277,69-0279/028 1,69-0283/0286, 69-0292/0293,69-0297,69-0304,69-0306,69-7201/7202, 69-7204/7220,69-7223,69-7228,69-7231/7236,69-725 1, 69-7253/7254,69-7256/7260,69-7262/7263, 69-7270,69-7272,69-7286/729 1,69-7293,69-7295,69-7298,69-

7300/7303,79-7546,69-7550,69-7556,69-7558,69-7560/7561,69-7566,69-7571 /7572,69-7574,69-757917584, and 69-7586/7588. Second batch of 18 F-4Gs modified at the Ogden Air Logistics Centre and fi tted from the outset with the AN/APR-47: 69-0244,69-0249,69-0260,69-0264,69-0278,69-0290,69-0298,69-0303,69-0305,69-0307,69-7252,69-7261,69-7267, 69-7268, 69-7274,69-7297, 69-7551, and 69-7557.

The Commander's bird from the 35th TFW with Shrike and HARM. Fairly bristling with spine antennae, note the SST-181 X Combat Skyspot aerial on the right of the three on the spine, with the APR-3A omni in the center ( via Glenn Sands)

F-4Gs on the flight line at Sheikh Isa AFB during the first Gulf War ( via Tony Thomborough)

69-247 shows 0" its low-vis European 1 colour scheme ( via Glenn Sands)

TheF-4G ~

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Gulf War I F-4Gs

Following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on August 2, 1990, the 561st TFS (part of the 35th TFW based at George AFB) deployed to the Middle East as a part of Operation Desert Shield. Twenty-four F-4Gs were deployed and they were co