Subject: New Fighter Series--McDonnell F-4 Phantom (36 of 50)

From: [email-masked]
Date: 27 Jun 94 16:14:55 GMT

>From [email-masked]

The largest user of the Phantom was the United States Air Force.  

The first production version of the Phantom for the USAF was the F-4C 
(initially known as the F-110A).  However, the first Phantoms to be 
used by the USAF were actually 27 US Navy F-4Bs that were temporarily 
loaned to the USAF in November of 1963.  These were primarily used for 
training.  They were soon followed by production F-4Cs.  The 12th TFW 
was the first operational user of the F-4C, receiving its first 
machines in January of 1964, replacing the unit's F-84F 
Thunderstreaks.  The 12th TFW achieved initial operational capability 
in October of 1964.  As the pace of F-4C deliveries quickened, the 
borrowed F-4Bs were returned to the Navy.  

It was to be in the Vietnam War that the Phantom was to gain its 
reputation.  On March 2, 1965, the bombing of North Vietnam began 
under the code name *Operation Rolling Thunder*.  The F-4C was first 
deployed to Southeast Asia in April of 1965 when the 15th TFW deployed 
its 45th Tactical Fighter Squadron to Ubon, Thailand.  This squadron 
was temporarily assigned to the 2nd Air Division.  On July 10, 1965, 
two F-4C crews scored the USAF's first kills of the Vietnam War when 
they destroyed two MiG-17s over North Vietnam with Sidewinder 
missiles.  The 45th TFS was returned to the 15th TFW in August of 
1965, and the first Phantom squadrons sent to Southeast Asia on a 
permanent basis were the 557th, 558th, and 559th TFSs of the 12th TFW, 
which arrived at Cam Rahn Bay on November 8, 1965.  In time, the F-4C 
took over the bulk of the heavy fighting over both North and South 
Vietnam.  

On a typical mission over the North, an F-4C would carry four 
Sparrows, four Sidewinders, and a load of eight 750-pound bombs.  At 
first, the bombs were dropped from medium or high-altitudes, but as 
SAMs became more dangerous, a shift was made to lower altitudes.  
Unfortunately, this technique also exposed the aircraft to small-arms 
fire from the ground.  

For air-to-air combat, the F-4C relied on Sparrow semi-active radar 
homing or Sidewinder infrared-homing missiles.  The AIM-7D/E Sparrow 
was carried in the ventral trays.  In principle, the 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 rather restrictive rules of engagement in Vietnam.  When 
used at closer ranges, the Sparrow turned out to be virtually useless 
against fighter-sized targets, especially at low altitudes.  The 
AIM-9B/D Sidewinder was usually the weapon of choice.  The AIM-9D had 
a range of up to 12 miles, but it was generally effective only in 
close stern engagements in good weather and at high altitudes.  In bad 
weather or at low altitudes, the results were less impressive, the 
Sidewinder often losing its lock on its target due to interference 
from rain or from clouds or having a tendency to lock onto the Sun or 
onto reflections in lakes or ponds.  Ultimately, the Sidewinder scored 
more aerial victories in the Vietnam War than any other weapon.  

On July 24, 1965, F-4C 63-7599 of the 47th Tactical Fighter Squadron 
was downed by a surface to air missile, becoming the first American 
warplane to be downed by a SAM.  SAMs actually claimed only 5.7 
percent of all US aircraft shot down in the Vietnam war, but they 
forced American aircraft down to lower altitudes where ground-based 
AAA and even small arms fire were much more lethal.  

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.  Most were lost to AAA, but a few were lost in stall/spin 
accidents at low altitude.  During close-in dogfights, when pulling 
high-gs or when at steep angles of attack, it was very easy to lose 
control of an F-4C, especially if it was carrying a centerline store.  
Recovery from a spin at an altitude below 10,000 feet was essentially 
impossible, and the only option for survival was generally for the 
crew to eject.  

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 underfuselage centerline 
compensated for the lack of a gun, but it seriously degraded overall 
performance and in addition made the aircraft somewhat unstable and 
difficult to recover from a spin.  

Early F-4Cs had problems with leaking wing fuel tanks, these problems 
being so serious that the tanks had to be carefully resealed after 
each flight.  The radar had a tendency to malfunction far too easily, 
the humid air of Southeast Asia being a persistent problem.  Early 
F-4Cs also had problems with cracked ribs and stringers on the outer 
wing panels.  Later F-4Cs were equipped with a heavier stringer and an 
additional wing rib.  These modifications were retrofitted to earlier 
F-4Cs.  

During the Vietnam War, F-4C crews claimed the destruction of 22 MiGs 
with Sidewinders, 14 with Sparrows, four with gunfire, and two by 
causing the MiGs to crash while maneuvering.  

The RF-4C was the unarmed photographic reconnaissance version of the 
USAF's F-4C.  The armament and radar of the fighter version was 
removed and replaced with equipment specialized for photographic 
reconnaissance.  The first production RF-4Cs went in September 1964 to 
the 33rd TRTS, a training unit based at Shaw AFB in South Carolina.  
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.  

As part of the 460th TRW, the 16th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron 
from Shaw AFB, North Carolina was deployed to Tan Sun Nhut in South 
Vietnam in October of 1965.  It became part of the 460th TRW.  The 
second RF-4C squadron in action in Southeast Asia was the 15th TRS, 
which entered combat in February of 1967.  The RF-4C flew day missions 
over South Vietnam and Laos until 1972.  The aircraft posted an 
impressive record during the most intense years of the war.  Heavy 
ground fire resulted in numerous losses, but considering the total 
number of missions flown, the loss rate was relatively low.  

The F-4D was an improved version of the F-4C.  The F-4D was ordered in 
March of 1964, and the first example flew on December 7, 1965.  
Deliveries began in March of 1966.  The first deliveries were to the 
36th Tactical Fighter Wing based at Bitburg in Germany.  It was later 
followed by the 4th TFW based at Seymour Johnson AFB in North Carolina 
in January of 1967.  The F-4D appeared in Southeast Asia for the first 
time in May of 1967, with the 555th TFS.  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.  The F-4D eventually destroyed 
45 enemy aircraft, and the USAF's 3 Vietnam-era aces got their fifth 
kills in F-4Ds during the *Linebacker* campaign of 1972.  Captain 
Steve Ritchie of the 432nd TFW got his fifth kill in F-4D number 
66-0167 on August 18, 1972.  

The F-4D deleted the Sidewinder capability on the inboard underwing 
pylon in favor of the Hughes AIM-4D Falcon infrared-homing missile.  
The infrared Falcon proved relatively unsuccessful in air-to-air 
combat in Vietnam, shooting down only four MiG-17s and one MiG-21 
between October 26, 1967 and February 5, 1968.  Combat pilots were 
very uncomplimentary about the Falcon, and the Sidewinder capability 
on the inboard underwing pylons was hastily restored.  However, in 
fairness to the Falcon, virtually ALL air-to-air missiles prove to be 
troublesome in Vietnam and less deadly to enemy aircraft than 
anticipated.  

The F-4D also tried out several new laser weapons systems.  

The Westinghouse AN/ASQ-152(V)-2 *Pave Spike* laser target designator 
pod was fitted to several F-4Ds.  The cylindrical *Pave Spike* laser 
designator pod was mounted inside one of the Sparrow missile wells on 
the fuselage underside.  The system used television optics, which made 
it daylight-capable only.  The *Pave Spike* aircraft had the 
capability of launching the AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missile.  

The AN/AVQ-10 *Pave Knife* laser target designator could be carried on 
the inboard underwing pylon of specially modified F-4Ds.  This pod had 
a stabilized head housing a boresighted TV camera and laser 
designator.  It had a low-light television system, which made 
nighttime missions theoretically possible, although it is not certain 
that this was ever done.  Attempts were made to slave the pod's optics 
to the aircraft radar, but these were not successful.  The system 
operated by having the pod look in the same direction as the pilot's 
bomb sight, with the weapons system officer then finding the target 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-10/B laser guided bomb.  All *Pave Knife* aircraft were assigned 
to the 433rd TFS of the 8th TFW.  Perhaps the most spectacular use of 
the *Pave Knife* was the dropping of a span of the Paul Doumer Bridge 
near Hanoi on May 10, 1972.  This bridge had survived hundreds of 
previous attacks.  

Two F-4Ds were fitted with the AVQ-11 *Pave Sword* precision attack 
sensor.  This 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 O-2As.  The system was mounted inside a 
modified SUU-11 gunpod that was suspended from the right-forward 
Sparrow well or from the right inboard underwing pylon.  

A single F-4D received the *Pave Fire* system mounted in a centerline 
pod.  This system was supposed to use low-light level television and 
laser ranging equipment to perform dive-toss bombing missions at 
night.  In such an mission, the attacking aircraft was supposed to 
dive on the target from a medium altitude, acquire and designate the 
target, then pull up before releasing its "dumb" bombs.  However, the 
designation of the target was found to be more tricky than expected, 
and the *Pave Fire* system was never very successful, and only one 
Phantom was so modified.  

A AVQ-9 *Pave Light* laser designator could be 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 target and 
shine the laser while other aircraft attacked it.  If an emergency 
escape proved to be necessary, the WSO first had to demount and store 
the designator before he could safely eject.  

AN/ARN-92 LORAN-D equipment was fitted to *Pave Phantom* F-4Ds.  They 
could be identified by a rather prominent "towel-rail" antenna on the 
upper rear fuselage behind the rear cockpit.  A total of 72 aircraft 
from blocks 32 and 33 were so equipped.  In Vietnam, the primary 
mission of these *Pave Phantom* F-4Ds was the seeding of the Ho Chi 
Minh trail with sensors, which required the precise nighttime 
navigational capability provided by LORAN.  

The *Combat Tree* modification of 1968-69 permitted the retention of a 
full missile load while carrying electronic 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 designation EF-4D was given to four F-4Ds modified for the *Wild 
Weasel IV/V* SAM suppression role.  Two of them were fitted with the 
AN/APS-107 radar homing and warning system and a target acquisition 
system for AGM-78 Standard anti-radiation missiles.  The other two 
served as test beds for the AN/APS-38 warning and attack system 
developed by McDonnell Douglas and later adopted for the F-4G.  

The EF-4C was the initial *Wild Weasel* version of the Phantom.  It 
was a modified version of the F-4C, designed in parallel with the 
F-105 Wild Weasel III program.  This aircraft, like the modified 
F-100F and F-105F, was intended to detect and attack However, the 
entrance of the EF-4C into combat in Vietnam was delayed by numerous 
problems.  Among these were insufficient internal space to house the 
electronic equipment, electronic interference between the various 
components of the system, and mechanical vibrations of the panoramic 
receiver pod that was mounted in the starboard rear Sparrow recess.  
It was not until 1969 that these problems were fully resolved.  

The first EF-4Cs entered service in June of 1968 with the 66th Fighter 
Weapons Squadron, an operational conversion and tactic development 
unit based at Nellis AFB in Nevada.  Overseas deployment of the EF-4C 
Wild Weasel IV began with the 67th TFS, based at Kadena AFB on 
Okinawa.  It was soon followed by the 52nd TFW's 81st TFS based at 
Spangdahlem in Germany.  The 67th TFS relocated to Thailand where it 
used its EF-4Cs during the *Linebacker* raids of 1972-73.  The EF-4Cs 
suffered from certain deficiencies which limited their combat 
effectiveness.  For example, they were unable to carry the Standard 
ARM.  Consequently, the EF-4C was seen only as an interim Wild Weasel 
aircraft, pending the introduction of a more suitable type.  

In an attempt to obtain a peaceful settlement to the Southeast Asia 
war, on October 1, 1968, the bombing of North Vietnam was halted and 
the *Rolling Thunder* campaign came to an end.  Except for a few 
temporary exceptions (the so-called "Type III limited-duration, 
protective-reaction strikes"), the aerial campaign against the North 
was put on hold.  

During the bombing halt, the new cannon-armed F-4E was introduced to 
the Southeast Asia theatre.  The cannon-armed F-4E was first assigned 
to the Southeast Asia theatre in November of 1968 when the 469th 
TFS/388th TFW at Korat RTAFB in Thailand converted from F-105Ds.  The 
all-missile F-4C and F-4D had shown some serious drawbacks in the 
initial air-to-air battles over Vietnam.  The earlier Sparrow, Falcon, 
and Sidewinder air-to-air missiles did not perform up to expectations.  
They were expensive, unreliable, and vulnerable to countermeasures.  
Many an enemy MiG was able to escape unscathed because a 
Phantom-launched missile malfunctioned and missed its target.  The 
Phantoms could carry a podded cannon mounted on the centerline, but it 
was relatively inaccurate, caused excessive drag which reduced the 
performance of the Phantom carrying it, and took up a valuable 
ordinance/fuel station.  

The internal cannon of the F-4E was initially quite troublesome, with 
the ingestion of gun gases into the engine intakes causing frequent 
engine flameouts.  It took a couple of years of experiments before the 
internal cannon became fully safe and reliable.  Later production 
blocks of the F-4E had automatic wing leading-edge slats which 
markedly enhanced the maneuverability.  

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 F-4Es.  Also retrofitted was the AN/AVQ-26 *Pave Tack* 
infrared/laser target designator and the AN/ASX-1 electro-optical 
target identification system.  180 F-4Es were retrofitted with the 
Lear Siegler AN/ARN-101(V) system starting in the autumn of 1977.  

The AVQ-26 *Pave Tack* pod was the first laser designation system 
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 
centerline station, replacing the 600-gallon external fuel tank and 
taking up valuable bomb-carriage space.  

The F-4E was credited with 21 MiG kills during the war.  10 were 
brought down by Sparrows, five with gunfire, four with Sidewinders, 
one with a combination of Sidewinder and gunfire, and one while 
maneuvering (no weapons being fired).  However, most combat missions 
flown by the F-4E were ground-attack missions 

On the night of March 29/30, 1972, twelve North Vietnamese divisions 
supported by armor invaded South Vietnam.  On April 2, President Nixon 
ordered that limited bombing of North Vietnam be resumed under 
*Operation Freedom Train*.  Six more F-4E squadrons were deployed from 
Elgin and Homestead AFB in Florida to air bases in Vietnam and 
Thailand in 1972 in response to the North Vietnamese invasion.  In 
addition, F-4Ds from Holloman AFB in New Mexico were deployed to 
Takhli, Thailand.  

On May 8, 1972, President Nixon announced that Haiphong Harbor was 
being mined and that most bombing restrictions against North Vietnam 
would be removed.  The *Freedom Train* limited bombing campaign was 
replaced by *Operation Linebacker*, an all-out campaign to halt the 
invasion and bring North Vietnam to the conference table.  Far fewer 
restrictions were in place than those imposed during *Rolling Thunder* 

The *Linebacker* raids culminated in the "Christmas" B-52 raids on 
Hanoi during late December of 1972.  A truce agreement was finally 
signed in Paris on January 27, 1973, ending American involvement in 
the Southeast Asia conflict.  The last USAF victory in the Southeast 
Asia theatre was on January 8, 1973, when Capt. P. D. Howman and 
1st Lt. L. K. Kullmann of the 4th TFS destroyed a MiG-21.  

There were three USAF crew members who became aces during the Vietnam 
war.  The first USAF ace of the Vietnam War was Captain Richard S.  
"Steve" Ritchie, who got his fifth kill (a MiG-21) while flying F-4D 
66-7463 on August 28, 1972.  The other two aces were both WSOs.  Capt.  
Jeffery S. Feinstein flew with four different pilots to get five 
victories.  The top ace of the war was Captain Charles B. DeBellevue, 
a WSO who got six kills while flying with Capts. Ritchie and Madden.  
He got his fifth and sixth kills on on September 9, 1972.  

The Phantom served with a total of 16 USAF Tactical Fighter Squadrons 
in the Southeast Asia theatre of operations.  5 of these flew only 
F-4Cs,six were first equipped with F-4Cs then converted to F-4Cs, 
three were exclusively equipped with F-4Ds, four had F-4Es only.  

During the Southeast Asia conflict, a total of 442 USAF F-4s (plus 83 
RF-4Cs) were lost.  33 of these were shot down by MiGs, 30 were lost 
to SAMs, and 307 were lost to AAA and small arms fire.  Nine were 
destroyed on the ground during enemy mortar and sapper attacks, and 63 
were lost in various accidents.  

A total of 107.5 MiGs were claimed by Phantom crews during the 
Southeast Asia war, which was about a 3:1 overall superiority in 
air-to-air combat.  However, combat results were initially not nearly 
so favorable.  As late as December of 1966, the victory:loss ratio was 
only about 1:1--much, much poorer than that which was achieved in 
Korea.  The Air Force did what later came to be known as a "root cause 
analysis" to determine the reason for the disappointing air combat 
results.  Part of the problem was that the Sparrow, Falcon, and 
Sidewinder air-to-air missiles were not nearly as effective against 
enemy MiGs as had been hoped.  However, the primary cause was traced 
to inadequate training.  Most American pilots serving in Vietnam were 
relatively inexperienced in air-to-air combat, having never fired 
their weapons even in training before going over the North for the 
first time.  Statistical analysis showed that a pilot was most likely 
to be shot down during his first few missions.  If he managed to 
survive these, he was likely to be able to survive the remainder.  In 
order to correct this deficiency, both the USAF and the US Navy 
created "agressor" training squadrons which would simulate air-to-air 
action so that a new pilot would make his first mistakes during 
training rather than in actual combat.  This training paid off during 
the *Linebacker* operation of 1972, during which a 6:1 superiority 
over the MiGs was achieved.  

Following the end of the conflict in Vietnam, the USAF Phantoms began 
to be replaced by later equipment, and Phantoms were passed along to 
Air Force Reserve units or to the Air National Guard.  The F-4E began 
be supplanted by the newer F-15 starting in 1975 and by the F-16 
starting in 1979.  With the USAF in Europe, the last F-4Es were with 
the 52nd TFW at Spangdahlem in Germany which re-equipped with F-16s in 
1978.  The last two F-4E squadrons in the Pacific theatre were 
converted to F-16C/Ds in 1989.  The TAC kept its F-4Es a bit longer, 
not relinquishing its machines until the early 1990s.  

The 334th TFS/4th TFW based at Seymour Johnson AFB in North Carolina 
was the last active duty USAF unit to give up its Phantom fighters, 
trading in its F-4Es for F-15E Strike Eagles on December 28, 1990.  

The Air Force Reserve did not get its first Phantoms until October of 
1978, when the 915th Airborne Early Warning and Control Group at 
Homestead AFB in Florida was redesignated the 915th Tactical Fighter 
Group and F-4Cs were assigned to its 93rd TFS.  F-4Ds were given to 
four other reserve squadrons.  In 1984, the 93rd TFS traded in its 
F-4Cs for F-4Ds.  The 456th TFS at Carswell AFB in Texas began to 
receive F-4Es in 1988.  Shortly thereafter, Air Force reserve 
squadrons began to replace their Phantoms with F-16A/Bs.  The last 
USAF reserve squadrons traded in their Phantoms in 1991.  

The last version of the Phantom to enter service with the USAF was the 
F-4G *Wild Weasel* aircraft, which did not enter service until well 
after the Vietnam War was over.  F-4G was the designation applied to 
116 USAF F-4Es which were converted to the *Wild Weasel* anti-SAM 
configuration.  The first F-4Gs went in April of 1978 to the 35th TFW 
based at George AFB in California.  

At the time of *Desert Storm*, the F-4G was still the only *Wild 
Weasel* aircraft available to the USAF.  The F-4Gs of the 35th TFW 
played an important part in Operation *Desert Storm* in 1991, when 
they cut a path through Iraqi air defenses during the initial attack 
on January 17.  During the war, only one F-4G was lost.  It was 
69-7571, which was damaged by enemy AAA on January 18, 1991.  It 
crashed during an attempted emergency landing, but both crew members 
ejected safely.  

The RF-4C was still in service at the time of *Desert Storm*.  In 
response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the 106th TRS of the 117th 
TRW of the Alabama ANG was deployed to Sheika Isa in Bahrain.  This 
unit was relieved by the 192nd TRS of the Nevada ANG.  Later, this 
unit was joined by RF-4Cs from the USAF's 12th TRS/67th TRW and the 
28th TRS/26th TRW.  Many of these planes were veterans of combat in 
Vietnam.  When the first strikes against Iraq took place on January 
17, 1991, the RF-4Cs were in action from the start.  At first, they 
were limited to daylight operations, flying over Kuwait almost every 
day in search of Republican Guard units.  They flew over Baghdad 
looking for such targets as rocket fuel plants, chemical weapons 
plants, and command and communications centers.  The RF-4Cs were 
repeated diverted from other photographic missions to go and look for 
Scud launchers hiding in western Iraq.  None were lost in action, 
although one (61-1044) was lost in a pre-war accident.  

Following the end of *Desert Storm*, all of the remaining RF-4Cs were 
withdrawn from USAF service.  However, several RF-4C remain in service 
with the Air National Guard.  The last of these is expected to remain 
in service until 1996.  

The F-4G is the only version of the Phantom to remain in front-line 
service with the USAF.  Following Desert Storm and the general defense 
drawdown after the collapse of the Warsaw Pact, many USAF F-4Gs were 
turned over to the Air National Guard, which continues to operate 
these planes in the present day (1994).  European-based F-4Gs have now 
been returned to bases in the USA.  Several USAF F-4Gs continue to 
fly, but several others have been placed in storage.  The original 
plan was to replace the F-4G in favor of a Wild Weasel version of the 
F-16, but this idea was abandoned in 1992.  It now appears that a few 
F-4Gs will probably remain in USAF service until the year 2000.  

Sources:
 
  McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920: Volume II, Rene J.
  Francillon, Naval Institute Press, 1990.

  McDonnell F-4 Phantom: Spirit in the Skies.  Airtime Publishing, 1992.

  The American Fighter, Enzo Angelucci and Peter Bowers, Orion, 1987.

  United States Military Aircraft Since 1909, Gordon Swanborough and
  Peter M. Bowers, Smithsonian, 1989.

  The Fury of Desert Storm--The Air Campaign, Bret Kinzey, McGraw-
  Hill, 1991.

Joe Baugher				AT&T Bell Laboratories
1000 E. Warrenville Road		Naperville, Illinois 60566-7013