South Korea retires its last F-4 Phantom fighters

The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) held a farewell ceremony for its last F-4 Phantom fighters on June 7.

Developed by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing), the Phantom was a fighter originally intended for the US Navy, but which also operated in the Air Force.

The ROKAF received its first F-4Ds in 1969 and eight years later introduced the more modern and capable F-4Es, which were retired this year.

The Asian country also flew the RF-4C, for reconnaissance, from 1989, but it was written off in 2014. The F-4D had already left service in 2010.

The plan is for the F-4s to be replaced by around 60 5th generation F-35 fighters and 120 locally developed KF-21 Boramae. The remaining F-5 Tiger IIs will also be retired with the Phantoms.

To mark the farewell to the iconic supersonic jet, ROKAF applied retroactive camouflages and inscriptions marking the historic moment.

South Korea is the last operator of the F-4 Phantom in Asia-Pacific after Japan retired its aircraft in 2020. Before that, Australia even flew the aircraft through leasing, but only until 1973 when the first F-111 were delivered.

The ROKAF operated around 220 F-4s of the three variants, but fewer than 20 aircraft were recently active.

The Phantom, however, continues to fly in Turkey, Greece and possibly Iran, despite US economic sanctions.