The Royal Australian Air Force operated 24 McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II fighter-bomber aircraft in the ground attack role between 1970 and 1973. The Phantoms were leased from the U.S. Air Force as an interim measure owing to delays in the delivery of the RAAF’s 24 General Dynamics F-111C bombers. The F4Es were considered successful in this role, but the government did not agree to a proposal from the R RAF to retain the aircraft after the F/111s entered service in 1973.
About McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II in Australian service in brief
The Royal Australian Air Force operated 24 McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II fighter-bomber aircraft in the ground attack role between 1970 and 1973. The Phantoms were leased from the United States Air Force as an interim measure owing to delays in the delivery of the RAAF’s 24 General Dynamics F-111C bombers. One of the Phantoms was destroyed in a flying accident in June 1971, and another was repaired after it sustained heavy damage during a crash landing. The 23 surviving aircraft were returned to the USAF in two batches during October 1972 and June 1973. Between 1965 and 1970 six Australian pilots serving on exchange postings to the U.S. Air Force flew Phantoms in combat during the Vietnam War. The RAAF considered purchasing eight RF4E reconnaissance aircraft and two tankers in early 1968, but no action was taken on this matter. At this time the F-11 program was in crisis owing to technical problems with the design of the aircraft’s wing assembly and all all F111s were grounded after an American F111 crashed on 23 September 1968. The F4Es were considered successful in this role, but the government did not agree to a proposal from the R RAF to retain the aircraft after the F/111s entered service in 1973. In the early 1960s, the Australian Air Board opposed acquiring 24 Boeing B-47 Stratojet bombers because they were obsolete and would be expensive to operate. The Australian Government rejected this advice, and decided to purchase 24 F- 111s.
At the time the order was placed in late 1963 these aircraft were scheduled to be delivered in 1967; the delivery date was pushed back to 1968 after Australia decided to order the unique F-110C variant. In late 1963 the United. States Government offered to lend Australia 24 Boeing Stratojet bombers until the F-111s were delivered. The Australian Air Board rejected this offer on the grounds that they were outdated and expensive. In mid-1963 a team of senior RAAF officers headed by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Valston Hancock, travelled to the. United States to evaluate the General Dynamics F 111, North American A-5 Vigilante and F- 4C Phantom ii strike aircraft. In its final report, the team rejected the F 4C on the. grounds that the aircraft lacked the range, performance at low altitude and reconnaissance capability that the R Air Force required. The team proposed that the. RAAF acquire 36 Vigilantes as they also met the force’s requirements and could be delivered within a shorter time frame. The decision was taken to purchase 36 Vigilante aircraft, which were delivered in late 1964. The RF-4C reconnaissance variant of this design, and KC-135 tankers, was also considered necessary to support these aircraft. As a result of delays to the development of the RF-111, of which Australia had ordered four, the RAF accepted all 24-111Cs at a ceremony at Fort Worth, Texas, on 4 September 1968.
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