Aeronaves y UAV

F-4 Phantom II

Also known as
  • F-4
  • McDonnell F-4
  • McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II
  • Phantom II
  • Kurnas

El F-4 Phantom II es un cazabombardero supersonico estadounidense, bimotor y biplaza, desarrollado por McDonnell para la defensa de flota de la U.S. Navy y posteriormente adoptado por fuerzas aereas estadounidenses y aliadas para funciones de interceptacion, ataque, reconocimiento y guerra electronica. Se construyeron mas de 5.000 unidades, con uso de catalogo respaldado por fuentes que abarca ataques israelies en la Guerra de Desgaste, misiones estadounidenses F-4G Wild Weasel en la Guerra del Golfo, ataques turcos con F-4E 2020 contra objetivos del PKK, la perdida turca de un RF-4E durante la crisis siria y ataques anti-ISIS en Irak atribuidos a Iran.

F-4 Phantom II, Cazabombardero supersonico bimotor biplaza, Aeronaves y UAV
Image source: F-4E-Phantom-Kurnas-2000-with-camera-pod-hatzerim-1 | Wikimedia Commons

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Specifications

Tripulacion
2
Velocidad maxima
1.400 mph (hoja tecnica del F-4C)
Alcance
1.750 millas (hoja tecnica del F-4C)
Techo
59.600 ft (hoja tecnica del F-4C)
Planta motriz
2 turborreactores General Electric J79-GE-15 con postcombustion
Armamento
Hasta 16.000 lb de municion transportada externamente
Funciones de mision documentadas
Caza de defensa de flota, cazabombardero, aeronave de reconocimiento y conversion Wild Weasel de guerra electronica
Variants

Las designaciones Phantom II cubren configuraciones de caza, cazabombardero, reconocimiento y guerra electronica especificas de cada servicio; nombres posteriores de modernizacion nacional, como Kurnas 2000 y Terminator 2020, identifican programas de actualizacion de operadores en lugar de celulas nuevas.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
F-4CCazabombardero de la USAF

El F-4C fue la primera version del Phantom II de la U.S. Air Force; volo por primera vez en mayo de 1963 y las entregas de produccion comenzaron seis meses despues.

Sources: McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II | National Museum of the United States Air Force

F-4DCazabombardero de la USAF

La historia del Phantom II de Tinker Air Force Base identifica al F-4D como una version de la Air Force posterior al F-4C inicial.

Sources: Tinker History: McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II

F-4ECazabombardero con canon interno

El pie de foto del F-4E del National Museum identifica un F-4E con armamento AIM-7 Sparrow, AIM-4D Falcon y M61A1 Vulcan.

Sources: McDonnell Douglas F-4E | National Museum of the United States Air Force

RF-4EPhantom de reconocimiento

La cobertura de CFR y NATO sobre el derribo de 2012 identifica la aeronave perdida por Turquia como un Phantom de reconocimiento vinculado a la crisis siria.

Sources: CFR - Turkey: Phantom Shoot-Down?, NATO - NAC Statement on Turkish Aircraft Shootdown

F-4G Wild Weasel, Electronic warfare fighter aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsF-4G Wild WeaselConversion de guerra electronica y SEAD

El F-4G fue una conversion Wild Weasel de la celula F-4E usada para localizar y suprimir defensas aereas guiadas por radar.

Sources: McDonnell Douglas F-4G Wild Weasel | National Museum of the United States Air Force

Carried Munitions

The Phantom II family is documented with short-range air-to-air missiles, iron bombs, and later Wild Weasel armament options across its F-4C, F-4E, and F-4G variants.

Carried itemItem typeCarriage evidence
Ghader anti-ship cruise missile, Anti-ship cruise missile, MunitionsGhader anti-ship cruise missileAnti-ship cruise missile

Iran Press says the Qader anti-ship cruise missile can be installed on aircraft such as the F-4 Phantom fighter.

Sources: Qader anti-ship missile capable against coastal targets, boats

AIM-9 Sidewinder missile, Short-range air-to-air missile family, MunitionsAIM-9 Sidewinder missileShort-range air-to-air missile

The F-4C fact sheet lists four AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles in a typical 1967 loadout.

Sources: McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II | National Museum of the United States Air Force, AIM-9 Sidewinder

AIM-7 Sparrow missile, Air-to-air missile, MunitionsAIM-7 Sparrow missileMedium-range air-to-air missile

NAVAIR identifies U.S. Air Force and Navy F-4 Phantoms as heavy AIM-7 Sparrow users during the missile's first combat use in Vietnam.

Sources: AIM-7 Sparrow - NAVAIR

AIM-4D Falcon missile, Short-range air-to-air missile, MunitionsAIM-4D Falcon missileInfrared air-to-air missile

The National Museum photo caption identifies an F-4E Phantom II carrying four AIM-4D Falcon missiles.

Sources: McDonnell Douglas F-4E | National Museum of the United States Air Force

M117 750-pound unguided bomb, 750-pound unguided general-purpose bomb, MunitionsM117 750-pound unguided bomb750-pound general-purpose bomb

The F-4C fact sheet lists eight 750-pound Mk 117 bombs in a typical 1967 loadout.

Sources: McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II | National Museum of the United States Air Force, M117 General Purpose Bomb

AGM-65 Maverick, Air-to-surface guided missile, MunitionsAGM-65 MaverickTactical air-to-surface missile

The F-4G Wild Weasel fact sheet lists AGM-65 Maverick missiles among its armament options.

Sources: McDonnell Douglas F-4G Wild Weasel | National Museum of the United States Air Force, AGM-65 Maverick Fact Sheet

AGM-45 Shrike, Air-to-surface anti-radiation missile, MunitionsAGM-45 ShrikeAnti-radiation missile

The F-4G Wild Weasel fact sheet lists AGM-45 Shrike among the Phantom-derived Wild Weasel armament options.

Sources: McDonnell Douglas F-4G Wild Weasel | National Museum of the United States Air Force

AGM-88 HARM, Air-to-surface anti-radiation missile, MunitionsAGM-88 HARMHigh-speed anti-radiation missile

The F-4G Wild Weasel fact sheet lists AGM-88 HARM missiles among its armament options.

Sources: McDonnell Douglas F-4G Wild Weasel | National Museum of the United States Air Force, AGM-88 HARM

AGM-62 Walleye, TV-guided glide bomb family, MunitionsAGM-62 WalleyeTelevision-guided glide bomb

The National Museum Walleye I fact sheet says USAF F-4s used the television-guided Walleye glide bomb starting in 1967.

Sources: Martin Marietta AGM-62 Walleye I - National Museum of the USAF

Electronic Warfare Equipment

Museum loadout evidence documents the F-4C with podded electronic-countermeasures equipment in addition to weapons.

Carried itemItem typeCarriage evidence
AN/ALQ-87 electronic countermeasures pod, Electronic countermeasures pod, Electronic WarfareAN/ALQ-87 electronic countermeasures podElectronic countermeasures pod

The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force lists one ALQ-87 pod on the right inboard pylon in a typical 1967 F-4C loadout.

Sources: McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II | National Museum of the United States Air Force

Firing Weapons
AmmunitionAmmunition typeFiring evidence
M61A1 Vulcan cannon, 20mm aircraft cannon, Aircraft & UAVsM61A1 Vulcan cannon20 mm aircraft cannon

The National Museum F-4E photo caption identifies the aircraft with an M61A1 Vulcan 20 mm cannon, and the M61A1 fact sheet says the Vulcan was carried internally on the F-4E Phantom II.

Sources: McDonnell Douglas F-4E | National Museum of the United States Air Force, M61A1 Vulcan Cannon | National Museum of the United States Air Force

Timeline

F-4 Phantom II Key Events

  1. Primer vuelo

    El Phantom II volo por primera vez en mayo de 1958 tras ser desarrollado para la defensa de flota de la U.S. Navy.

    Sources: McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II | National Museum of the United States Air Force

  2. Comienzan las entregas a la USAF

    La primera version F-4C de la USAF hizo su primer vuelo en mayo de 1963, y las entregas de produccion comenzaron seis meses despues.

    Sources: McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II | National Museum of the United States Air Force

  3. Servicio en la Guerra de Desgaste de 1969

    La Israeli Air Force dice que el Phantom llego durante la Guerra de Desgaste de 1969 y participo en la actividad de ataque de Operation Priha contra objetivos egipcios.

    Sources: Operation “Priha” - The Israeli Air Force

  4. Misiones Wild Weasel en la Guerra del Golfo

    Tripulaciones de F-4G Wild Weasel usaron la celula del Phantom II para misiones estadounidenses de supresion de defensas aereas durante Operation Desert Storm.

    Sources: McDonnell Douglas F-4G Wild Weasel | National Museum of the United States Air Force

  5. RF-4E turco derribado cerca de Siria

    NATO condeno el derribo sirio de una aeronave turca, mientras que CFR identifico el incidente como la perdida de un F-4 turco de reconocimiento no armado.

    Sources: CFR - Turkey: Phantom Shoot-Down?, NATO - NAC Statement on Turkish Aircraft Shootdown

  6. Ataques iranies anti-ISIS atribuidos

    RFE/RL y USNI informaron de la atribucion por funcionarios estadounidenses de ataques con F-4 Phantom II contra objetivos del Islamic State en Irak, junto con negaciones iranies.

    Sources: RFE/RL - Iran Denies F-4 Air Strikes on Islamic State, USNI - Iran Denies ISIS Airstrikes, Pentagon Says Different

  7. Ataques aereos turcos con F-4E 2020

    Hurriyet Daily News informo de aeronaves turcas F-4E 2020, F-16 y drones en una campana transfronteriza contra objetivos del PKK en las montanas Qandil del norte de Irak.

    Sources: Hurriyet Daily News - Turkish Military Hit 44 PKK Targets

Media

F-4 Phantom II Videos

F-4 Phantom II Images

F-4 Phantom II, Cazabombardero supersonico bimotor biplaza, Aeronaves y UAV - view 1
Source: F-4E Israel HAPIM0321 | Wikimedia Commons
F-4 Phantom II, Cazabombardero supersonico bimotor biplaza, Aeronaves y UAV - view 2
Source: F-4E-81st-tfs | Wikimedia Commons
Related Weapon Systems
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Sources

McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II | National Museum of the United States Air ForcePublisher: National Museum of the United States Air Force | Note: Supports F-4 Phantom II background, first flight, fleet-defense origin, production period, production count, U.S. service timeline, and F-4C technical notes. | Accessed: 2026-06-26Tinker History: McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom IIPublisher: Tinker Air Force Base | Note: Supports Phantom II service background and Air Force variant context, including F-4C and later USAF versions. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Operation “Priha” - The Israeli Air ForcePublisher: The Israeli Air Force | Note: Supports Israeli F-4 Phantom arrival during the 1969 War of Attrition and Operation Priha strike activity against Egyptian targets. | Accessed: 2026-06-26McDonnell Douglas F-4G Wild Weasel | National Museum of the United States Air ForcePublisher: National Museum of the United States Air Force | Note: Directly supports 1990 Gulf War use by F-4G Wild Weasel aircraft during Operation Desert Storm, plus F-4E conversion context, armament that includes AGM-45 Shrike, and public-domain image provenance for the aircraft photo. | Accessed: 2026-06-27McDonnell Douglas F-4E | National Museum of the United States Air ForcePublisher: National Museum of the United States Air Force | Note: Supports the photo caption identifying an F-4E carrying four AIM-4D Falcon missiles. | Accessed: 2026-06-27AIM-9 SidewinderPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports the AIM-9 Sidewinder as a fighter-carried air-to-air missile and the F-4 Phantom II carriage relationship. | Accessed: 2026-06-28Hurriyet Daily News - Turkish Military Hit 44 PKK TargetsPublisher: Hurriyet Daily News | Note: Directly supports 1984 Kurdish-Turkish Conflict use by Turkish F-4E 2020 aircraft in November 2015 airstrikes against PKK targets in northern Iraq's Qandil Mountains. | Accessed: 2026-07-04AIM-7 Sparrow - NAVAIRPublisher: Naval Air Systems Command | Note: Supports AIM-7 Sparrow background and F-4 Phantom carriage/use context by identifying U.S. Air Force and Navy F-4 Phantoms as heavy Sparrow users during Vietnam. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Qader anti-ship missile capable against coastal targets, boatsPublisher: Iran Press | Note: Supports the F-4 Phantom fighter as one of the aircraft that can carry the Qader anti-ship cruise missile. | Accessed: 2026-06-28M117 General Purpose BombPublisher: National Museum of the United States Air Force | Note: Supports the M117 as a 750-pound general-purpose bomb and the F-4 Phantom II carriage relationship. | Accessed: 2026-06-28Martin Marietta AGM-62 Walleye I - National Museum of the USAFPublisher: National Museum of the USAF | Note: Supports Walleye I background and the claim that USAF F-4s used the television-guided glide bomb starting in 1967. | Accessed: 2026-07-04AGM-65 Maverick Fact SheetPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports the AGM-65 Maverick as a tactical air-to-surface missile and the F-4G Wild Weasel carriage relationship. | Accessed: 2026-06-28AGM-88 HARMPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports the AGM-88 HARM as an air-to-surface anti-radiation missile and the F-4G Wild Weasel carriage relationship. | Accessed: 2026-06-28M61A1 Vulcan Cannon | National Museum of the United States Air ForcePublisher: National Museum of the United States Air Force | Note: Supports the M61A1 Vulcan cannon's 20 mm aircraft-gun role and the F-4E Phantom II internal gun context. | Accessed: 2026-06-27F-4E-Phantom-Kurnas-2000-with-camera-pod-hatzerim-1 | Wikimedia CommonsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports Wikimedia Commons image provenance for an Israeli F-4E Phantom II at Hatzerim airbase. | Accessed: 2026-06-26F-4E Israel HAPIM0321 | Wikimedia CommonsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for an Israeli F-4E Phantom II at Tel Nof. | Accessed: 2026-06-26F-4E-81st-tfs | Wikimedia CommonsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports public-domain image provenance for a U.S. Air Force F-4E Phantom II loadout photo. | Accessed: 2026-06-26CFR - Turkey: Phantom Shoot-Down?Publisher: Council on Foreign Relations | Note: Supports 2011 Syrian Civil War context for Turkey's official account that Syria shot down an unarmed Turkish reconnaissance F-4 after it briefly crossed Syrian airspace. | Accessed: 2026-07-04NATO - NAC Statement on Turkish Aircraft ShootdownPublisher: NATO | Note: Supports 2011 Syrian Civil War context by documenting NATO's condemnation of Syria's shootdown of a Turkish aircraft. | Accessed: 2026-07-04RFE/RL - Iran Denies F-4 Air Strikes on Islamic StatePublisher: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty | Note: Supports 2014 War Against the Islamic State context by reporting U.S. official attribution of F-4 Phantom strikes in Iraq's Diyala province and Iranian denial of the strikes. | Accessed: 2026-07-04USNI - Iran Denies ISIS Airstrikes, Pentagon Says DifferentPublisher: USNI News | Note: Supports 2014 War Against the Islamic State context by reporting Pentagon and CENTCOM statements about indications that Iranian F-4 Phantom II aircraft struck ISIS targets in Iraq. | Accessed: 2026-07-04