Subject: New Fighter Series--McDonnell F-4 Phantom (45 of 50)

From: [email-masked]
Date: 12 Jul 94 01:21:10 GMT

>From [email-masked]

The Elliniki Polemiki Aeroporia (Hellenic Air Force) of Greece was an 
important Phantom user, having been supplied with F-4Es and RF-4Es 
newly purchased from McDonnell, as well as by used Phantoms 
transferred to it from the USAF and the German Luftwaffe.  

An initial contract, codenamed *Peace Icarus* was placed in 1971 for 
36 F-4Es.  These were delivered to Greece from March of 1974 onwards.  
Two attrition replacements were delivered in June of 1976.  Follow-on 
contracts were issued for 18 F-4Es and 8 RF-4Es.  The RF-4Es were 
delivered to Greece between June 1978 and April of 1979, whereas the 
follow-on F-4Es were delivered between May and December of 1978.  

The F-4Es entered service with the 337 Mira (squadron)/110 Pterix 
(wing) based at Larissa and with the 338 and 339 Mire/117 Pterix at 
Andravida.  The 337 Mira had previously flown Northrop F-5As as part 
of 111 Wing at Nea Ankhialos, and moved to Larissa to receive F-4Es.  
The 338 Mira had previously flown LTV A-7H Corsairs, and the 339 Mira 
had previously flown F-84Fs.  

The RF-4Es served with 348 Mira/110 Pterix at Larissa, replacing the 
RF-84F in the reconnaissance.  However, the unit retained its RF-84Fs 
in the training role until 1990.  Two of the RF-4Es have crashed.  In 
1993, several ex-Luftwaffe RF-4Es were added to the strength of 348 
Mira.  

A proposal for the US to supply 40 surplus F-4Es to Greece was 
revealed in 1987.  The proposal was later amended to involve 50 F-4Es 
and 19 F-4G Wild Weasels.  In exchange, the Greek government agreed in 
July 1990 to an eight-year extension of the US bases agreement.  The 
first stage of the agreement resulted in the promise of 28 F-4Es to 
Greece, to be drawn from the 113th TFS and the 163rd TFS.  These 
planes were delivered to Greece in late 1991, with further aircraft to 
follow in later years.  

The Phantom remains an important part of Hellenic Air Force strength, 
and will continue to serve throughout the decade and into the next 
century.  

The USAF serial numbers of the planes known to have been delivered to 
Greece are listed in the following table.  This listing includes new 
builds delivered to Greece under Foreign Military Sales and given USAF 
serial numbers for administrative purposes, as well as those used 
Phantoms turned over to Greece from the USAF and from the Luftwaffe.  

67-0342/0398		McDonnell F-4E-36-MC Phantom
				0345 to Greece in 1991
				0350 to Greece in 1991
				0381 to Greece in 1991
68-0303/0365		McDonnell F-4E-37-MC Phantom
				0318 to Greece in 1991
				0361 to Greece in 1991
				0363 to Greece in 1991
68-0366/0395		McDonnell F-4E-38-MC Phantom
				0381 to Greece in 1991
				0393 to Greece in 1991
				0394 to Greece in 1991
68-0400/0409		McDonnell F-4E-38-MC Phantom
				0402 to Greece in 1991
				0405 to Greece in 1991
				0408 to Greece in 1991
68-0410/0413		McDonnell F-4E-39-MC Phantom
				0412 to Greece in 1991
68-0418/0433		McDonnell F-4E-39-MC Phantom
				0424 to Greece in 1991
				0426 to Greece in 1991
				0432 to Greece in 1991 
68-0438/0451		McDonnell F-4E-39-MC Phantom
				0438 to Greece in 1991 
				0440 to Greece in 1991 
				0442 to Greece in 1991 
				0444 to Greece in 1991 
				0445 to Greece in 1991 
68-0473/0483		McDonnell F-4E-40-MC Phantom
				0480 to Greece in 1991 
				0481 to Greece in 1991 
68-0495/0498		McDonnell F-4E-41-MC Phantom
				0496 to Greece in 1991 
68-0503/0518		McDonnell F-4E-41-MC Phantom
				0506 to Greece in 1991 
				0515 to Greece in 1991 
				0517 to Greece in 1991 
69-7448/7455		McDonnell RF-4E-43-MC Phantom (for Luftwaffe, 3501-3508)
69-7456/7462		McDonnell RF-4E-44-MC Phantom (for Luftwaffe, 3509-3515)
69-7463/7481		McDonnell RF-4E-45-MC Phantom (for Luftwaffe, 3516-3534)
69-7482/7510		McDonnell RF-4E-47-MC Phantom (for Luftwaffe, 3535-3563)
69-7511/7535		McDonnell RF-4E-47-MC Phantom (for Luftwaffe, 3564-3588)
				Some in 7448/7536 were transferred 
					to Greece in 1993
72-1500/1507		McDonnell F-4E-54-MC Phantom   
				new builds for Greece, 1974
72-1508/1523		McDonnell F-4E-55-MC Phantom   
				new builds for Greece, 1978 
72-1524/1535		McDonnell F-4E-56-MC Phantom   
				new builds for Greece, 1978
74-1618/1619		McDonnell F-4E-60-MC Phantom  
				new builds for Greece, 1974
77-0357/0358		McDonnell RF-4E-66-MC Phantom	
	 			new builds for Greece, 1978-79
77-1743/1750		McDonnell F-4E-65-MC Phantom	
				new builds for Greece, 1978
77-1751/1760		McDonnell F-4E-66-MC Phantom		
				new builds for Greece, 1978
77-1761/1766		McDonnell RF-4E-66-MC Phantom	
				new builds for Greece, 1978-79

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.

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