Decommissioning the trusty F-4, Koreans pay tribute

The fuel flow to the F-4 (also known as Phantom II) fighters that protected the skies of the Republic of Korea with unwavering dedication for the past 55 years is about to be cut off, marking the end of the jets’ intense deterrent mission on the Korean Peninsula.

It’s useful to examine why the ROK and the ROK-US alliance relied on the F-4 to counter the threat from the northern Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) after the Korean War and how the plane fulfilled their needs. South Koreans owe a significant debt of security to this aircraft.

The F-4 was designed to meet a variety of operational requirements. Built by McDonnell Douglas (long since merged with Boeing), the F-4 was one of the few fighter jets used by the US Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps.

Additionally, the F-4 was a tool of military diplomacy for the United States. It was supplied to key US allies, including the ROK, the UK, Australia, Israel, and Japan, as well as to Iran, Egypt, and Turkey. Of the 12 countries that operated the Phantom, only Turkey, Greece and Iran continue to do so.

The 1968 decision to acquire

Following the end of the Korean War, the ROK had a relatively inferior air force compared with the DPRK. Before acquiring the F-4, South Korea had only a few F-86 Sabres and F-5As in its air force. The North had more than twice as many fighters, superior MiGs, with well-concealed operational bases. The DPRKcould deploy up to 150 aircraft within 5-to-15 minutes.

The process of acquiring the F-4 was not straightforward. To secure air superiority over the DPRK, the ROK Air Force Chief of Staff Chang Ji-ryang proposed acquisition of the F-4 in the “Five-Year Air Force Enhancement Plan” in 1966. The following year, Prime Minister Chung Il-kwon