McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II

F-4J(UK)


The deployment of a squadron of Phantom FGR.2s to the Falklands Islands after the 1982 [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] left a gap in the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]'s air defences. With the Tornado ADV still some years from operational service, the RAF purchased 15 [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] ex-U.S.

Navy F-4J aircraft redesignated F-4J(UK), chosen from among the best stored at [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and upgraded to a level almost equal to the F-4S.

There was no official UK mark number for the type, despite the common but incorrect assumption that they would be designated "Phantom F.3" in RAF service.

The main difference was the absence of combat [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] as requested by the RAF, since they were considered to be a "source of drag".

This also simplified the training of RAF crews as slats were not fitted to other RAF Phantoms.

The aircraft were totally overhauled at [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and fitted with AWG-10B radar (having Skyflash missile guidance capability, with monopulse I band sensor), smokeless engines and provision for Skyflash missiles.

The first F-4J(UK) was delivered to the RAF on 2 August 1984 and from there RAF crews delivered the aircraft to the UK after training.

They entered service with [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] (Tiger Squadron), based at [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] in the air-defence role.

Crews liked the aircraft, and generally rated them better than the Spey-equipped FGR.2s.

They had a slower rate of climb due to the less-powerful engines, but they were also 1,670 lb (760 kg) lighter and able, at altitude, to reach higher speeds (Mach 2.3 at 45,000 ft/13,700 m, compared to Mach 2.1 at 36,000 ft/11,000 m).

The radar was also praised: "engines are good and the radar is excellent" in the words of a pilot. Despite their age and the lack of combat slats these aircraft served well until being phased out in January 1991 in favour of surplus Phantom FGR.2s, before the Phantom was finally retired in 1992.

After 25 years of service the Phantoms ended their RAF career: as a result of the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] military budget reduction in 1990, it was decided to phase out the Phantom.

These aircraft were designed for a lifetime of only 1,000 hours but were pushed to 5,800 hours, many of them flown at low-level.

First units to disband were the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]-based [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], which were the last air defence units to serve in [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], followed by [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] in May 1992. The last Phantom squadron, [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] was disbanded on 1 October 1992.