South Korea: last F-4D Phantoms now retired...

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06-16-2010 18:40

Korean Air Force decommissions F-4D jets

By Jung Sung-ki
Staff reporter

A squadron of F-4D Phantom fighter jets conducted its last flight Wednesday, ending its 41 years of service with the ROK Air Force.

A ceremony for the decommissioning of the aircraft was held at the 11th Fighter Wing in Daegu, about 300 kilometers south of Seoul.

Boeing-built F-15K Slam Eagle fighters will replace the older aircraft.

“Though the F-4D aircraft is fading into the mist of history, their spirit will be succeeded by the F-15K, which will further bolster our air defense,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Lee Kye-hoon said at the ceremony. Hundreds of guests, including former F-4 pilots, attended the event.

The 151st Fighter Squadron of the ROK Air Force has operated about 60 F-4Ds since 1969. The twin-engine aircraft, nicknamed “MIG Killer,” can cruise at a top speed of Mach 2.3 and has an operational range of 1,260 kilometers.

Under a 2007 deal, the Air Force is receiving up-to-date F-15K aircraft from U.S. aerospace giant Boeing.

In 2002, the F-15 aircraft was selected for the 40-plane, $4.2-billion first-phase plan of the F-X fighter modernization program aimed at buying 120 high-end fighter jets by 2020.

The Boeing Company won the second-phase deal in 2008 to provide 20 more aircraft. The deal was valued at $2.3 billion.

The F-15K can fly air-to-ground, air-to-air and air-to-sea missions day or night in any weather. It has a 23,000-pound payload and can fly at a maximum speed of Mach 2.3 with a combat radius of 1,800 kilometers.