One of the Last Phantom Squadrons Shutting Down

[Springer]

The Japanese air force is one of the last bastions of the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom and the reconnaissance RF-4. The F-4 operates in the air defense role, flying from Hyakuri Air Base near Tokyo with two squadrons, while a single unit flies the RF-4. F-4s also fly with a test unit from Gifu, near Nagoya. The era of the F-4 Phantom in Japanese air force service is coming to an end with the disbandment of the F-4 unit 302 Hikotai Sqdn., planned for early 2019. Japan will replace its F-4s with the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II. This F-4, performing at Hyakuri Air Base on Dec. 2, is one of two painted in a special farewell scheme.

 

[Lawman]

When the Phantom goes away, there will still be MiG-21s in active service around the world, some of them fully capable of putting up a fight even today (India).

That says about these old Titans.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MikeD]

Still a few countries operating them front line, for how much longer, who knows.

 

[Low_Level_Hell]

The Air Force should really bring back the Jenny or Stopwith Camel. The enemy air defense radars would never look for something that slow.

 

[Nark]

The Air Force should really bring back the Jenny or Stopwith Camel. The enemy air defense radars would never look for something that slow.

My AMSO brain is going in to overdrive at how awesome that idea is for a SEAD mission.

 

[Deleted member 27505]

The Air Force should really bring back the Jenny or Stopwith Camel. The enemy air defense radars would never look for something that slow.

Even if they did look for them, they'd likely be invisible to radar. Heck, even metal-framed Citabrias and such can often pass undetected.