This Day in History: November 20, 2020

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by Simonov

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This Day in History

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On November 20, 2020, the Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) retires the last of their F-4EJ Phantom II fighters from frontline service. Originally designed by McDonnell Douglas, the F-4 Phantom is a twin-engine two-seater fighter/interceptor which initially entered service with the United States military in the 1961 as a naval fighter. The types performance, reliability, and durability quickly made it a mainstay of not only the US Navy but also the US Marine Corps (USMC) and US Air Force (USAF), serving admirably with all three branches during the Vietnam War. The aircraft would also be operated by the air demonstration teams of the US Navy (the Blue Angels) and the USAF (the Thunderbirds). During the 1970s and '80s, the Phantom was gradually replaced in American service with new designs such as the F-14 Tomcat, F/A-18 Hornet, F-15 Eagle, and F-16 Fighting Falcon. The last American Phantoms, Wild Weasel variants outfitted for suppressing enemy air defense systems, were retired in 1996. However, the Phantom also saw service with 11 other nations, including the United Kingdom, Japan, Israel, Germany, and Spain.

Japan adopted the F-4E Phantom in 1968 with an order of the aircraft from the United States followed by licensed manufacture of the type by Mitsubishi as the F-4EJ Phantom. In 2019, the JASDF began retiring its aged Phantoms and replacing them with the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning (also known as the Joint Strike Fighter, or JSF). The last Japanese Phantom squadron, the 301st Tactical Fighter Squadron, officially transitioned to the Lightning on November 20, 2020, marking the end of the Phantom's service with the JASDF, though a small number remain for test and evaluation purposes. With the Japanese retirement of the Phantom, the only remaining operators of the F-4 Phantom are Iran, Greece, Turkey, and South Korea.

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