F-4 Phantoms: The Strategic Secret Weapon U.S. Readers Should Know About – Part 1

The U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps utilized the F-4 “Phantom,” which made its maiden flight in 1958, a formidable force in aerial warfare during the Vietnam War in the 1960s. The introduction of the F-4 to Korea was led by heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula following the 1968 North Korean armed invasion of the Blue House and the USS Pueblo incident.

Subsequently, The Korean Peninsula would find it difficult to defend itself against North Korean attacks, South Korea claimed after deciding to send a large number of troops to the Vietnam War, managing to get the U.S.’s agreement for the introduction of the F-4 during the Honolulu summit and the second U.S.-Korea defense ministers’ meeting.

Finally, on August 29, 1969, six Air Force pilots flew the fighter jets across the Pacific to the Daegu Base, marking the establishment of the 151st Fighter Squadron (Phantom Squadron) and the beginning of the Air Force’s “Phantom Era.” It has since been known as the “Mig Killer” and the “Goblin of the Sky,” protecting the skies over the Korean Peninsula for over 50 years.

The first model introduced was the F-4D Phantom, a powerful asset capable of taking on North Korea’s latest MiG-21 fighters and IL-28 bombers. The Korean Air Force was the first to introduce the F-4 Phantom in Asia. Subsequently, by 1989, 80 F-4Ds (Block 26–28) had been deployed, five of which had been provided by the national defense fund that the public had raised. They served on the front lines of national air defense.

It has a brilliant record, including identifying and intercepting Soviet TU-16s in 1983, Soviet TU-95s and nuclear submarines in 1984, a spy ship off Busan in 1985, and a Russian reconnaissance aircraft (IL-20) that appeared in the East Sea in 1998. The F-4D Phantom fighter jets were decommissioned from the Daegu base on June 16, 2010, after 41 years of service.

The F-4E, another model with an improved engine, electronic equipment, and radar performance, was introduced in 1979, and over 100 units were brought in on several occasions. Over 170 F-4Ds and F-4Es introduced to the Air Force were the core force in air defense and ground support until the KF-16 fighter was deployed in the 1990s.

Part 2
Part 3