The F-4 Phantom Fighter slowly disappears

During live-fire exercises earlier this month, some of the last F-4 Phantom II aircraft still in service with the Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) fired air-to-surface AGM-142 missiles, releasing 500 -lb MK drop. -82 free fall bombs for the last time. The AGM-142 “Popeye” missile was introduced in 2002 and served as the main strategic precision strike weapon until the deployment of the AGM-84H SLAM-ER in 2007.

The impending retirement of the F-4E next month also marks the end of the line for the Popeye, as the Phantom II was the only fighter in South Korean service that could launch the AGM-142. He was known for being able to hit a target with an error of less than a meter from a distance of about 100 km!

“Live-fire training gave me the confidence to hit any target immediately and powerfully,” Major Kim Do-hyung, commander of the 153rd Fighter Squadron, 10th Fighter Wing, Air Force, told Yu Yongwon TV. “I feel a special emotion to be in charge of the final live firing of Popeye, once the most powerful strategic weapon. The ‘Popeye Missile’ that shook enemies has faded into history, but the powerful majesty of this missile and the confidence they had while operating this missile will live on in the hearts of the Phantom Men.”

Phantom II to fly into the sunset

After fifty-five years of service, the RoKAF F-4 Phantoms will be officially retired on June 7. The all-weather, multirole fighter-bombers first entered service with the South Korean military in 1969 and quickly gained a reputation as a reliable front-line aircraft. It remained the country’s main fighter until the development of the KF-16 in 1994.

The Phantom IIs have been slowly retired from service, starting with the older F-4Ds in June 2010, forty-one years after they entered service. The RoKAF will also soon retire its aging F-5E/F Tiger IIs, and the F-4Ds and F-5s will be replaced by the F-35A Lightning II, FA-50 Golden Eagle and KF-21 Boramae fighters.

In March, a day after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw artillery exercises involving border forces that could attack Seoul, the RoKAF conducted an “elephant walk” consisting of thirty-three aircraft, including the F-35A, KF- 16s, F-15Ks and the F-4Es.

The fighter jet exhibition was part of the annual Freedom Shield exercise and was probably the last elephant walk that the Phantom II took part in in the world.

Originally designed in the 1950s by McDonnell Aircraft, the F-4 became a crucial player during the Vietnam War, serving the U.S. military in both air superiority and ground attack roles, wrote Brandon J. Weichert for The National Interest. The F-4 Phantom II was notable for its remarkable speed, capable of reaching twice the speed of sound with a significant load of ammunition, and demonstrated unparalleled versatility, making it an icon of mid-twentieth century aviation.

Experience and expertise of author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a writer from Michigan. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites with more than 3,200 published pieces during a twenty-year career in journalism. He writes regularly about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics and international affairs. Peter is also one Contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.

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