F-4EJ Kai overtiered and underpowered

It has already been proven many times that it is impossible to use JDAM.

  • The F-4EJ Kai does not have a GPS receiver for the JDAM.

  • In the picture the JDAM is mounted on the Triple Ejector Rack (TER), which is not yet capable of using the JDAM. This was mentioned by Marvin Engineering.

  • Finally, someone who was at the air show where the photo was taken asked the crew why they mounted the JDAM on the F-4EJ when it is not usable, and the answer was “because it’s a festival”.

They can’t.

They are not 1:1 identical, as shown in the discussion with LoardMustang in the previous forum, capturing sea targets is not the same as capturing ground targets, especially for GCS-1 where you can’t manually pre-lock on the seeker, they activate the seeker after dropping the bomb with CCIP.

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I’m using UFO as a relative, rhetoric term. I know the F-16 was designed as a dogfighter just like all these Russian jets we’ve seen YouTube footages of them performing insane air show maneuvers.

But the F-4 is a bus, and I don’t have the 9L unlocked yet. The maneuverability of the F-16 will easily allow it to notch and pop chaff.

Wow I just checked the plane and you aren’t wrong about it. How does the python 3 perform? Like, compared to magic and aim-9m? For myself personally, I would prefer your plane; it has napalm bombs, and that i have learned to avoid the SARHs until close enough range for IR missiles to lock on, and Aim-9L is non-IRCCM and thus easily flared.

The armament is inferior to the F-14, at least the Iran version. The AIM-7F demands at least within 15km range, in which 20km is the range where tags show up. So it is BVR on paper only. Beyond IR and gun range, sure.

Not only that, the radar is highly overrated. The F-14 radar has 203km range, while F-4EJ Kai has a range of 60km. I was being tracked by F-14s, in which they would fire the Fakour 90 at me, before I can even get a targeting lock. Well of course it can’t compete against a fantasy missile 200kg heavier than the AIM-54A, now with a M112 HAWK (13kN motor similar to AIM-54 motors) that is somehow faster, more maneuverable than the AIM-54A and un-notchable.

The F-14 can simply turn around after unloading the missile because it’s fire and forget (supposedly within 16km).

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I admit the RWR is pretty good and haved saved my lives many times. But that’s about it.

Aim-9L shouldn’t be a selling point, because it is not IRCCM; Its functionality is essentially the “Aim-9B” of top tier; only works against clueless, rear facing players, perhaps with an afterburner. The Magic 2 has IRCCM, and is essentially an AIM-9M (yes, the same missiles on the A-10C that people kept complaining about it).

I’ll requote my earlier post.

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It’s on-par with the Iranian F-14, with EJ Kai having a better radar still.
Iranian loses the 9Ls, gains Fakour 90.

Claiming AIM-7F is BVR in name only is the same as claiming all missiles are.
And EJ Kai’s radar range is ~80km, same as Mig-29.

It’s why Iranian F-14A and EJ Kai should always be the same BR.
Me in my EJ Kai can turn around when launched on, then turn back in after 15 - 45 seconds with all my missiles in-tact.

In game this is basically AIM-9L with higher G pull, max speed and flare hungry as R-60M. The only real upsides this Phantom have is 2 flare pods with 200x flares, A2G weaponary and that’s about it.

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This seems reasonable, so it really is proven to not carry JDAM.

This does not seem reasonable at all. Capturing sea targets is different, namely in the way the reflective surface of the sea interferes with the IR seeker. This is not an issue with ground targets.

The seeker cannot be manually locked and would be difficult to use, but it is perfectly capable of targeting ground targets. As already stated the seekers IRCCM would have the positive side effect of filtering out destroyed tanks.

The biggest difficulty in game is only the issue that it has no means of IFF, so it would be difficult to use when trying to avoid hitting teammates.
Still, not impossible.

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Yikes! Seems like you got a bomber on your hand!

This jet is only for GRB to be honest. Like is EJ Kai better in ARB, while Kurnass in GRB, but the share the same BR for some reason.

F-14 having “worse” radar is irrelevant because it fires ARMs, which does the heavy lifting work. Even then, it (the fakour radar) is extremely resistant to notching. There is nothing stopping the fakour space bombers from doing the same and running back to base after firing their missiles. The F-16 radar is also easily notched (or maybe, the combined fault of AIM-7F) and not that amazing.

In fact, the game balancers think the same. If you look at the latest BR adjustments, you will see that F-14 is now being tied to planes like F-16AJ (12.7 BR)

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lol F-14A and B are dead aircraft now.
EJ Kai is officially OP being a lower BR than inferior aircraft.

I don’t know how you come to this conclusion.

The F-4EJ Kai is underpowered if anything. The AIM-7F only works against your level 10 premium players that does not notch, take cover behind terrain, or use chaff. In additionally, it only works under 10KM in most practical situations (by 10km, I mean both planes are screaming towards each other in a head on) any more and the player will just move behind cover because your average player flies very low. (Wow we’re getting the ground mode experience in planes too!)

You call it OP but there are way better planes that are lower in BR. The Mirage planes have IRCCM MAGIC 2 missiles that slams the AIM-7F into the ground in terms of performance. In paper the magic 2 have way shorter range but given the fact that the F-4 is a bus, any maneuvering will mean massive bleeding of energy, and if you shown your engines to the IRCCM planes - congrats! You just doubled their range!

Long range and speed, even maneuverability it can’t compete against the Tomcat.

So you have a short range plane trying to LARP as a F-16, but without the ingredients to make it actually succeed in close range lol.

What would actually justify 12.3 BR would be the F-4EJ Kai getting a “Kurnass 2000” treatment; dump the AIM-7F and just load it with AAM-3

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If you’re having trouble using AIM-7F/R-27ER, go back to the basics and use ACM mode only and only fire on guaranteed hits.
No one is forcing you to be the first to fire; The winner of a battle is not the one who fires first, but the one who fires last.

There are zero aircraft in War Thunder superior to EJ Kai at a lower BR.
EJ Kai is however superior to F-14A, and the F-14A is going to 12.7.

Also, you’re a Phantom, your goal is to furball manage at speed with 1 degree per second less turn rate than F-14A.
EJ Kai remains the only aircraft I have two consecutive aces in for a reason.
AAM-3s would also make EJ Kai 13.x in BR, just play the F-15J if you want AAM-3s.

Hi guys.

I’m giving this thread a bump.

After looking at the last balancing changes, the plane is still not downtiered.

MiG-21 Bison is much more suited for 12.3 than F-4EJ Kai.

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It’s G limiter is removed but it can still pull as if it still has it, which means in maintains stupid AoA.

ill very gladly play a few games with you in the ej kai when youre in a similar 12.3, the ej kai is the best 12.3 and i stand by it

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Gaijin

the uk premium phantom is worse it has aim 9g and aim7e i think it is the same as the f4s but worse weapons. can someone please explain why its at the same br and not lower

Good.