- Yes
- No
- Tech Tree
- Premium
- Squadron
- Event/Gift
- I don’t want it added
This is a (re)submission for an F-4E late in it’s service life with the USAF or ANG. Operated until 1991 by the USAF, the F-4E was a very important milestone aircraft. Even after improved and more advanced fighter aircraft entered service, the F-4E was kept as a backline plane, just in case.
F-4E/L
/L here stands for Late, as is found in Typhoon Mk Ib/L.
Represented in a mid-80s configuration.
F-4E 74-1048, a Block 60 Phantom, on display in the 1980s.
Background
The F-4E was built off of the F-4D, and would be the only Phantom variant fitted with an internal cannon. Initially entering service with the USAF in 1967, the F-4E would arrive in the Southeast Asian theater in 1968, and would be credited with 21 MiG kills during the Vietnam War. Following the war, and the study of “what went wrong” in air combat during the war, new air superiority fighters would begin to be made for the USAF, the F-15A and F-16A, which began to enter service around the late 1970s. This left the F-4E without much of a place in the USAF, but with limited numbers of the new jets available, the F-4E would stay operational throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s.
Many squadrons would retain their Phantoms in lieu of newer equipment. The last squadron in Europe to be reequipped was the 52nd TFW, handing in their Phantoms in 1988. Two Pacific squadrons didn’t receive new equipment, and kept their Phantoms, until 1989. The last active duty USAF squadron to replace their F-4Es, the 4th TFW, completed conversion to the F-15E in 1991.
Most Phantoms taken from front line USAF squadrons were given to the USAF reserves or the Air National Guard. For the USAF reserves, only two squadrons would operate the F-4E. The 457th TFS received F-4Es in 1987, and the 704th TFS received F-4Es in 1989. Both squadrons would have them replaced by F-16Cs in 1991.
F-4Es would start to be received by Air National Guard squadrons in 1985, but these had a relatively brief service life. The F-4E was used by the 110th TFS of the Missouri ANG, the 113th TFS of the Indiana ANG, the 141st TFS of the New Jersey ANG, the 163rd TFS of the Indiana ANG, and the 196th TFS of the Californian ANG. The last F-4E would leave ANG service in 1991.
Specifications
This is a late model Phantom, with no specific block number. Ideally, it should be implemented as Block 60, with all the upgrades of the previous blocks.
Blocks and Additions
Standard F-4E: Equipped with AN/APQ-120 and new optical computing sight
Block 48: AN/ARN-101(V), deleted analog systems and replaced them with digital ones, distinguished by “doghouse” antenna on spine, cockpit sight made easier to read, addition of an ASX-1 TISEO and AN/APQ-120(V)-10/-11; ‘Midas 4’ new gun muzzle, AVQ-23A/B Pave Spike and AN/AVQ-26 Pave Tack capability (retrofitted to earlier blocks);
Block 53: Addition of anti-skid brakes, and KB-25/A gunsight camera with new LCOSS, AGM-65 Maverick capability (retrofitted to earlier blocks); J79-GE-17C/17E engines with low-smoke combustors
Block 56: Replacement of AN/APR-36/37 with AN/ALR-46(V); along with cockpit RHAWS display, programmable automatic jamming control, wiring for ECM pods in front left Sparrow well
Block 60: Digital Scan Converter Group installed for AN/APQ-120(V)-10/-11, display of TV video from TISEO; implementation of CAA (Computer Aided Acquisition), allowing a reduction in ground clutter and improved angles for radar locks along with improving the speed of scan (retrofitted to some earlier blocks)
| General Information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Length | 63ft (19.2m) | |
| Wingspan | 38ft 5in (11.7m) | 27ft 7in (8.4m) wing folded |
| Height | 16ft 5in (5m) | |
| Engines | 2 x J79-GE-17E smokeless engines | ~11,870lbf non-afterburning (~5384kgf) |
| ~17,900 lbf afterburning (~8120kgf) | ||
| Empty Weight | 30,328lb (13,757kg) | |
| Fuel Capacity | 1225 US gal (4637 L) internal fuselage | + 630 US gal (2385 L) internal wing |
| 600 US gal (2271 L) external centerline | + 2 x 370 US gal (1400 L) external wing | |
| Total Fuel Load | 1855 US gal (7022 L) internal | 1340 US gal (5071 L) external (3 tanks) |
| Hardpoints - 9 total | 5 external hardpoints | 4 semi-recessed Sparrow hardpoints |
Ordnance
| Ordnance | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Air-to-Air | |||
| IR | |||
| AIM-9J/P | Can use either one, the USAF did use the AIM-9P | ||
| AIM-9N | Upgraded AIM-9J, similar difference as AIM-9G and AIM-9H | ||
| AIM-9P-4 | All-Aspect AIM-9P | ||
| AIM-9L | All-Aspect | ||
| Radar | |||
| AIM-7E | |||
| AIM-7E-2/E-3 | AIM-7E-3 is AIM-7E-2 with fusing changes | ||
| AIM-7F | |||
| AIM-7M | |||
| Air-to-Ground | |||
| Bombs | |||
| Mk 81 250lb | (LDGP/Snakeye) | ||
| Mk 82 500lb | (LDGP/Snakeye/LGB) | ||
| Mk 83 1000lb | (LDGP/Retard/LGB) | ||
| Mk 84 2000lb | (LDGP/Retard/LGB) | ||
| M117 750lb | (GP/Retard/LGB) | ||
| M118 3000lb | (GP/Retard/LGB) | ||
| GBU-8 | EO | ||
| GBU-9 | EO | ||
| GBU-15 | TV | ||
| AGM-62A/B | TV | ||
| AGM-62A ER/B ER | TV | ||
| BLU-27/B | Napalm | ||
| CBU-99/100 | Rockeye II (Cluster) | ||
| Rockets | |||
| Mighty Mouse | FFAR | ||
| Zuni | FFAR | ||
| Missile | |||
| AGM-12C | MCLOS | ||
| AGM-65B | TV | ||
| AGM-65D | IR | ||
| AGM-45A | ARM | ||
| Other | |||
| AN/AVQ-23A/B | Pave Spike Laser Designator | ||
| AN/AVQ-26 | Pave Tack Laser Designator | ||
| AN/ALQ-119 | ECM | ||
| AN/ALQ-184 | ECM | ||
| AN/AAQ-8 | IRCM | ||
| SUU-23/A | 20mm Gunpod | ||
| GPU-5/A | 30mm Gunpod | ||
| SUU-25/A | Illumination Flare Dispenser |
| Avionics | ||
|---|---|---|
| Radar | AN/APQ-120(V)-10/-11 | Addition of CAA mode (ACM) and Map-B mode (BVR) |
| RWR | AN/ALR-46(V)3 | |
| TACAN | AN/ASQ-5 | IFF |
| TIESO | AN/ASX-1 | EO camera system |
| HUD | LCOSS | |
| CM | AN/ALE-40 | Countermeasure dispenser |
Edit to try to explain how CAA and Map-B works
CAA
From my understanding, CAA works by greatly improving radar scan speed.
Using the newer ACM computer along with enhanced radar, the scan zone is split into three “areas,” centered at -15°, 0°, and +15° (left to right), each scanning between -7.5° and +7.5° of the center; where the radar will scan from -9° to +45° (vertical) at 120°/s.
When the scan sweeps below the horizon, the ACM will impose dynamic range limiting. Taking into account the aircraft’s pitch and roll, the system limits the scan according to the angle of the radar antenna below the horizon to reduce clutter while still allowing acquisition at close ranges.
The ACM computer scans the radar feed for valid returns of known target profiles, and is programmed with target recognition algorithms to aid in acquiring valid targets while minimizing spurious lock ons. In essence, the computer compares the radar scan return to the radar signature of known targets, attempting to discern a valid target from a fluff return. While looking below the horizon, the radar does not look for a “doppler” speed difference as some other radars do, instead looking for the shape of a specific target.
If CAA mode attempts to lock on to a target that is determined to be undesirable, the radar will ignore the “target” and a small area around the target for three half-scans. This permits the radar to look for more valid targets while ignoring the invalid return. If a lock is broken, the area around where the target “disappeared” is blocked out for three half-scans. In practice, this would just be a clearer picture of any target and shorter lock time.
It should be noted that CAA is primarily intended as an ACM mode. It cannot help for long range, BVR engagements at low altitude, only once the range is closed and ACM mode is enabled.
Map-B
While less in detail than CAA mode, Map-B is still important to mention. It is used in low altitude search operations, and limits the radar to a one-bar scan (vertical) for easier target detection. In essence, instead of scanning vertical in two sections, it will only scan one section. It exchanges a narrower vertical scan for a more defined low-altitude target recognition ability. BVR still works in this mode, however Map-B does not remove ground clutter, only attempt to minimize it.
Conclusion
I think this aircraft should be added, and in my opinion, should have been added a long time ago. It would help fill the gap in the line between the F-4E that we have and the F-15A, which is a huge gap. It also would (finally) allow the USAF to get their penultimate Phantom, along with hopefully the USN’s F-4S/L, giving the US the best possible Phantoms they could get. While not on the same level of air-to-air capability as the F-4S, the F-4E/L definitely has it beat in multirole capability. Not only does it get AIM-9L and AIM-7M, but it also gets multiple laser designators along with improved guided munitions. However, in the hope of keeping it on par with its contemporaries, and not overtiering it, the F-4E/L (and F-4S/L for that matter) should NOT receive the AIM-9M, despite in theory being able to use it.
For a stock loadout, I propose 4x AIM-9J/P and 4x AIM-7E (assuming SARH missiles become stock). The AIM-9N and AIM-7E-2/E-3 should be Rank 1 modifications, the AIM-9P-4 and AIM-7F as Rank 3, and AIM-9L and AIM-7M as Rank 4. If SARH missiles are not/don’t become stock, then the AIM-7E can be ignored and it can start with the AIM-7E-2/E-3.
Regarding the current F-4E, it should not need changing. The only change I can think of for the current F-4E is that it should receive the wider HUD with LCOSS, as having access to Mavericks would mean that it also has the LCOSS, and maybe improving the RWR display. It is fine where it is, and this new F-4E/L should be a separate vehicle to avoid creating another gap in the tree.
I think the F-4E/L would fit very well as a dual addition with the USN’s F-4S/L, both being a late version of an important milestone airframe in aircraft development of the United States. They would round out Rank VII, and can provide a stepping stone to the more advanced aircraft that followed them.
Gallery
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Gh6TWP0kcY
F-4E at Ramstein AFB, 1983. This Phantom is of an earlier block, and lacks the TISEO and other features.
USAF (left) and USN (right) pilots posing next to an AIM-9L in front of their service’s aircraft, 1975.
Sources
Wikipedia - McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom II
JoeBaugher - USAF - F-4E
Aviation.Watergeek - F-4 Front Panel
F4Phantom - F-4E Flight Manual Manual (1979), TO 1F-4E-1
AviationArchives (Download) - Aircrew Weapons Delivery Manual (Nonnuclear) (1986), TO 1F-4E-34-1-1; Radar Information (CAA) Pages 47-57
PaulCegelski - J79 Engine
Defense Technical Information Center - AD A142-58 - Weapons Files
Reposted from a suggestion of mine, here.
Edit: additional “detailed” radar information
