Overview[]
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the U.S. Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. Proving highly adaptable, it became a major part of the air wings of the United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force. It was used extensively by all three of these services during the Vietnam War, serving as the principal air superiority fighter for both the Navy and Air Force, as well as being important in the ground-attack and reconnaissance roles by the close of U.S. involvement in the war.
First entering service in 1960, the Phantom continued to form a major part of U.S. military air power throughout the 1970s and 1980s, being gradually replaced by more modern aircraft such as the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon in the U.S. Air Force; the F-14 Tomcat and F/A-18 Hornet in the U.S. Navy; and the F/A-18 in the U.S. Marine Corps. It remained in use by the U.S. in the reconnaissance and Wild Weasel roles in the 1991 Gulf War, finally leaving service in 1996. The Phantom was also operated by the armed forces of 11 other nations. Israeli Phantoms saw extensive combat in several Arab–Israeli conflicts, while Iran used its large fleet of Phantoms in the Iran–Iraq War. Phantoms remain in front line service with seven countries, and in use as an unmanned target in the U.S. Air Force. Phantom production ran from 1958 to 1979, with a total of 5,195 built.
(Taken directly for Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-4)
In 'Air Force Blues'[]
The F-4 Phantom II is mentioned only twice in AFBlues. Its first mention occurs during the "Badger Ops" story arc. After misinterpreting a hint from a Badger Ops agent, Barbie assumed that the mysterious aircraft they were assigned to pursue was and F-4. This later turned out not to be the case (the aircraft was in fact an F-117 "Nighthawk").
Lana Willow's father, COL (later BGEN) Willows was originally a USAF F-4 Phantom II pilot prior to his conversion to the F-15A Eagle and eventual incarceration.