End of an Era: Japan Retires Last Squadron of Venerable RF-4E Phantom Recon Jets

The Japanese Air Force (officially the Air Self Defence Force) has retired its last squadron of RF-4E/J high altitude reconnaissance jets - one of the final units of F-4 Phantom aircraft in the country’s fleet. The jets left service on March 9th, and had previously been assigned to the 501 Hikotai tactical reconnaissance squadron at Hyakuri Airbase in Ibaraki Prefecture. Flight training ended on March 3rd, and a ceremony for the aircraft in which the remaining six flew in two three ship flights took place six days later. Japan its expected to retire the last of its F-4 Phantoms by the end of the year, with the aircraft set to be replaced by the F-35A single engine multirole fighter. 

The F-4E was previously considered the most capable air superiority fighter in the world, but the design is today 55 years old and widely considered obsolete. Japan’s shift from a fleet primarily comprised of F-4 and F-15 twin engine dedicated air superiority aircraft to the F-35A, a lower flying and slower jet designed primarily for an air to ground strike role, represents a very significant reorientation of the country’s Air Force. Japan is one of only a few remaining operators of the F-4, and other than Iran, South Korea, Turkey and Greece it remains the only major operator of the aircraft. The RF-4E was prized for its ability to operate at high speeds and altitudes, although the platform has proven highly vulnerable to modern air defences with a Turkish Phantom downed on a reconnaissance mission over Syria’s Latakia province by a Syrian Pantsir short ranged system in 2012. F-4 Phantoms in neighbouring South Korea are expected to be replaced by indigenous KF-X stealth fighters around the year 2030.