American units that operated the F-4 Phantom II are listed below.
American units that operated the F-4 Phantom II are listed below.
Following the test and evaluation of loaned Navy F-4Bs, the first production F-4C was delivered to U.S. Air Force in November 1963. The 4453rd Combat Crew Training Wing at MacDill AFB was the first unit to receive the Phantoms. The first combat unit to receive F-4Cs was the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing in 1964. [1]
List of units: [2]
The Phantom entered service with the U.S. Navy on 30 December 1960 with the VF-121 Pacemakers at NAS Miramar. The VF-74 Be-devilers at NAS Oceana became the first deployable Phantom squadron when it received its F4H-1s (F-4Bs) on 8 July 1961. [3]
These kind of units are known in Navy parlance as Replacement Air Groups (RAG) or Fleet Replacement Squadrons (FRS). The purpose of these particular training units was to provide fleet squadrons with F-4 Phantom-qualified aircrew and maintenance personnel. During the Vietnam War, they also furnished spare aircraft to replace those lost in combat.
These units provided services to the fleet such as air combat training and enemy electronic warfare simulation support.
The U.S. Marines received their first F-4Bs in June 1962, with the VMFA-314 Black Knights at MCAS El Toro, California becoming the first operational squadron. In addition to attack variants, the Marines also operated several tactical reconnaissance RF-4Bs. Marine Phantoms from the VMFA-531 Gray Ghosts arrived in Vietnam on 10 April 1965, flying close air support missions from land bases as well as from USS America. Marine F-4 pilots claimed three enemy MiGs (two while on exchange duty with the USAF) at the cost of 75 aircraft lost in combat, mostly to ground fire, and four in accidents. On 18 January 1992, the last Marine Phantom, an F-4S, was retired by VMFA-112 Cowboys. [4]
NOTE: USMC squadrons shift their tail codes to the appropriate Carrier Air Wing (CVW) tail code when operating aboard aircraft carriers as part of an integrated USN/USMC CVW.
These kind of units are known in Navy and Marine Corps parlance as Replacement Air Groups (RAG) or Fleet Replacement Squadrons (FRS). The purpose of this particular training units was to provide Fleet Marine Force (FMF) squadrons with F-4 Phantom-qualified aircrew and maintenance personnel. During the Vietnam War, they also furnished spare aircraft to replace those lost in combat.
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy. Proving highly adaptable, it entered service with the Navy in 1961 before it was adopted by the United States Marine Corps and the United States Air Force, and by the mid-1960s it had become a major part of their air arms. Phantom production ran from 1958 to 1981 with a total of 5,195 aircraft built, making it the most produced American supersonic military aircraft in history, and cementing its position as a signature combat aircraft of the Cold War.
Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort or MCAS Beaufort is a United States Marine Corps (USMC) air base located 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) northwest of the central business district of Beaufort, a city in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. About 4,700 personnel serve at the station, and it is home to four Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet fighter-attack squadrons and one F-35B Lighting II training squadron.
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232 (VMFA-232) is a United States Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet squadron. Nicknamed the "Red Devils", the squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 11 (MAG-11) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. The Red Devils are the oldest and most decorated fighter squadron in the Marine Corps.
Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 502 (VMFAT-502) is a United States Marine Corps fighter attack training squadron flying the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. Known as the "Flying Nightmares", the squadron maintains the history of Marine Attack Squadron 513 (VMA-513) which dates back to World War II and was decommissioned on 12 July 2013. The squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 11 and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
A carrier air wing is an operational naval aviation organization composed of several aircraft squadrons and detachments of various types of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. Organized, equipped and trained to conduct modern US Navy carrier air operations while embarked aboard aircraft carriers, the various squadrons in an air wing have different but complementary missions, and provide most of the striking power and electronic warfare capabilities of a carrier battle group (CVBG). While the CVBG term is still used by other nations, the CVBG in US parlance is now known as a carrier strike group (CSG).
Fighter Squadron 124 or VF-124Gunfighters was a fleet replacement squadron (FRS) of the United States Navy. Originally established on 16 August 1948 as VF-53, it was redesignated VF-124 at NAS Moffett Field on 11 April 1958 due to a need for an increased number of flight training squadrons, itself necessary because of introduction of swept wing fighters into Navy service. In 1961, the squadron relocated to NAS Miramar, California, which would become the U.S. Pacific Fleet's Master Jet Base for fighter aircraft.
George Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base located within the city limits, 8 miles northwest, of central Victorville, California, about 75 miles northeast of Los Angeles, California.
Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base is a Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) base, the home of 23rd Wing Air Command. It is in the city of Udon Thani in northeastern Thailand and is the main airport serving the city and province.
Marine Aircraft Group 41 (MAG-41) is a United States Marine Corps reserve aviation unit based at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas that is currently composed of one F/A-18C squadron, one KC-130J squadron, one C-40 squadron, one Northrop F-5 aggressor squadron based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, one Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron at MCAS Camp Pendleton, one MV-22B squadron based at MCAS Miramar, one aviation logistics squadron and two wing support squadrons with multiple detachments throughout the United States.
The 35th Fighter Wing is an air combat unit of the United States Air Force and the host unit at Misawa Air Base, Japan. The wing is part of Pacific Air Forces (PACAF)'s Fifth Air Force.
The 155th Air Refueling Wing is a unit of the Nebraska Air National Guard, stationed at Lincoln Air National Guard Base, Nebraska. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command.
Marine Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron 3 (VMFP-3) was an aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps active between 1975 and 1990.
The 124th Fighter Wing is a unit of the Idaho Air National Guard, stationed at Gowen Field Air National Guard Base, Boise, Idaho. It operates the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft conducting close air support missions. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Combat Command.
The 127th Air Refueling Group is a unit of the Michigan Air National Guard, assigned to the 127th Wing, Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan.
F-4 Phantom II non-U.S. operators are the non-U.S. nations with air forces that operate or used to operate the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II. The Phantom II entered service with the U.S. military in 1960 and served until 1996. During this time it was the primary interceptor, air superiority fighter and fighter bomber with the U.S. Navy, Marines and Air Force.
The 192nd Airlift Squadron is a unit of the Nevada Air National Guard 152nd Airlift Wing located at Nevada Air National Guard Base, Nevada. The 192nd is equipped with the C-130H Hercules.
The 196th Attack Squadron is a unit of the 163d Attack Wing of the California Air National Guard stationed at March Joint Air Reserve Base, California, operating the MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft.
The 163rd Attack Wing is a unit of the California Air National Guard, stationed at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, California. When activated into federal service, elements of the 163 ATKW are gained by the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command (ACC) and Air Education and Training Command (AETC).