Subject: McDonnell F-4 Phantom (8 of 50)

From: [email-masked] (joseph.f.baugher)
Date: 10 May 94 23:47:04 GMT

The EF-4C Wild Weasel IV was a development 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 
North Vietnamese surface-to-air missile sites.  The EF-4C designation
was not official. 

These EF-4C aircraft were modified F-4Cs which were fitted with 
electronic equipment that was designed to detect, identify, and locate 
enemy surface-to-air missile radar installations.  The EF-4C aircraft 
were fitted with the AN/APR-25 Radar Homing and Warning System (RHAWS) 
with antennae mounted on the top of the vertical fin as well as inside 
the empty infrared seeker fairing mounted underneath the nose.  This 
system could give the direction of threats and could assign priority 
to them.  An AN/APR-26 SAM launch warning system was also fitted, with 
a blade-like omnidirectional antenna installed underneath the nose 
just behind the infrared seeker fairing.  An ER-142 electronic
countermeasures receiver was installed.  Frequently, the EF-4C 
carried a Westinghouse AN/ALQ-119 noise and deception active 
electronic countermeasures pod underneath the forward fuselage.  

The F-100F and F-105F had always been viewed as interim *Wild Weasel* 
aircraft, pending the availability of the *Wild Weasel IV* EF-4C 
Phantom.  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.  

36 F-4Cs were ultimately modified to the *Wild Weasel 4* 
configuration.  Serials were 63-7423, 7433, 7437, 7440, 7443, 7447, 
7452, 7459, 7462, 7467, 7470, 7474, 7478, 7481, 7508, 7512, 7513, 
7565, 7567, 7574, 7594, 7596, 7607, 7615, 7623 and 64-0675, 0741, 0757, 
0781, 0787, 0790, 0791, 0815, 0840, 0844, and 0847.  

The first EF-4Cs entered service in June 1968 with the 4537th Fighter 
Weapons Squadron, an operational conversion and tactic development unit
based at Nellis AFB in Nevada.  At that time, this squadron was part
of the 4525th Fighter Weapons Wing.  The 4525th was redesignated the 
57th Fighter Weapons wing in October of 1969, and at the same time
the 4537th FWS became the 66th FWS.  

Overseas deployment of the EF-4C Wild Weasel IV began in March of
1969 with the 80th TFS, 347th TFW at Yokota AB in Japan.  However,
these planes were transferred in March of 1971 to the 67th TFS, 18th 
TFW based at Kadena AFB on Okinawa.  The 67th TFS relocated to
Korat RTAFB in Thaliand in 1972-72 to take part in the *Linebacker*
raids.

The EF-4C was intended to detect and attack the *Fan Song* track-while-
scan radar used to guide the SA-2 *Guideline* surface to air missiles.
The primary armament of the EF-4C consisted of the Texas Instruments 
AGM-45 Shrike anti-radiation missile, plus an array of cluster bombs 
and conventional iron bombs.  The Shrike missile proved to be rather 
unreliable in service, since it had to be preset before takeoff in 
order to home in on a particular frequency.  The EF-4C could not carry 
or launch the AGM-78 Standard anti-radiation missile.  

In December of 1969, EF-4Cs were issued to the 81st TFS of the 50th 
TFW, stationed at Hahn AFB in Germany.  The The 81st TFS was
transferred to the 86th TFW at Zweibrucken AB in January of 1972.

In 1973, surviving EF-4Cs were retrofitted with the Itek AN/ALR-46 
electronic countermeasures receiver which provided fast digital 
processing in a bandwidth ranging from 2 to 18 GHz.  Antennae for this 
system were placed on the tailcone at the base of the vertical fin as 
well as on the lower fuselage immediately aft of the nose radar.  It 
interfaced with a cockpit display and provided automatic control of 
jamming assets.  In addition, an AN/ALR-53 long-range homing receiver 
was mounted which could guide aircraft toward surface threats.  

After being replaced by later, more capable versions of the *Wild 
Weasel* Phantom, many EF-4Cs were returned to F-4C status and then 
turned over to the Air National Guard.  These ex-EF-4Cs were turned 
over to the 113th TFS of the 181st TFG and the 163rd TFS of the 122nd 
TFW, both with the Indiana Air National Guard, which received these 
planes in 1979.  However, neither squadron was actually assigned the 
specialized *Wild Weasel* mission, and both squadrons flew their 
EF-4Cs in the conventional strike role.  Both Indiana ANG squadrons 
exchanged their EF-4Cs for F-4Es in 1988.  

Sources:

  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.

  Wild Weasel Phantoms, Rene Francillon, Air International,
  Vol. 47, No. 1, 1994.

  The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft Armament, Bill Gunston,
  Orion, 1988. 

Joe Baugher			**************************************
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