Days after performing the last use of weapons with the F-4 Phantom II, South Korea made a farewell flight before definitively retiring its veteran fighter planes.
For the event, the South Korean Air Force (ROKAF) used four F-4E fighters. Two of them sported paint schemes previously used in the fleet: one camouflaged and the other completely light gray. The farewell flight also included the participation of two KF-21 Boramae, new South Korean fighter. The prototypes accompanied the F-4s on the flight over the Korean Peninsula. The KF-21 is set to replace the F-4 and also the F-5 Tiger II still in service with the ROKAF.
The three-hour flight was recorded from a two-seat F-15K Slam Eagle, which acted as a flirter plane. The aircraft flew over the provinces of Gyeonggi, Jeolla and Gyeongsang. According to Yonhap agency, the flight retraced the 55-year history of the supersonic fighter-bomber in South Korean airspace. The aircraft will be officially retired on June 07, ing the baton to more modern aircraft, such as the F-16, F-15, F-35 and the KF-21 itself.
The first F-4s landed in South Korea in the mid-1960s. ROKAF is among the largest operators of the famous North American jet, having received around 220 planes over more than five decades of F-4D fighter activity. and is.
South Korean Air Force F-4E Phantom Pharewell flight photos goes hard. A proper send-off to a legendary fighter. pic.twitter.com/U6FAIW93d1
- Fighterman_FFRC (@Fighterman_FFRC) May 12, 2024
The F-4 Phantom II first flew in 1958, initially developed as an interceptor for the United States Navy. An icon of the Vietnam War, the model ended up evolving into a fighter-bomber, capable of carrying out aerial combat and ground attack activities; it was also adapted for reconnaissance (RF-4) and electronic warfare (F-4G) missions.
More than 5000 F-4 Phantoms were manufactured by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) until production ended in 1981. Twelve countries acquired the F-4 in various variants, but only four still operate it: Iran, Turkey, Greece and Greece itself. South Korea. Find out more about the last strongholds of this legendary jet in this special Aeroflap article.
