ROKAF Pharewell
South Korea recently held a ceremonial final flight for their F-4E Phantom IIs, and it is just beautiful imagery of the big beast.
The last 19 equipped the 153rd Fighter Squadron of the 10th Fighter Wing, based at Suwon, and included birds in special livery.
The lead jet, 80-735 was built as F-4E-67-MC No. 78-0735 and was the 5059th Phantom constructed in the U.S.. Of note, the last run of U.S.-built F-4s went to South Korea under the “Peace Pheasant II” program with 78-0744 being the 5068th and last Phantom to be built in America.
The F-4s recently took part in a 33-aircraft elephant walk, leading F-35s and FA-50s.
And graced the ROKAF’s beautiful poster marking the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Korean independence movement.
“I will remember your noble patriotic spirit”
The Phinal formation was escorted by KF-21 Boramae (Northern Goshawk) South Korea’s very F-22-like domestically-developed multi-role 4.5 gen fighter aircraft.
While the KF-21 is still in its teething phase, the ROKAF has no fighter shortage with the F-4 leaving as the country still has 170 F-16C/Ds, 39 F-35s (with more on order), 59 F-15Es, 60 locally built FA-60s, and 80 legacy 1970s era F-5 Tigers, which will be the next type to retire.
Korea first fielded the F-4D model in 1969 and over the years has had some 222 Phantoms of assorted types in service.
With over 5,000 F-4s built between 1958 and 1981, the type used to be flown by every branch of the U.S. military save for the Coast Guard as well as over a dozen key American allies. Now, with the Japanese retiring the Phantom in 2021 and Egypt putting it to bed in 2020, there are only the Greeks, Turks, and Iranians that still fly the type with, ironically, the latter being the most numerous with an estimated 60 D and E model birds still in service.