F4 Phantom is a cold
war era fighter bomber jet. During the vietnam
war, F4s are used extensively in
Vietnam. Its main enemy is the MiG-21. The jet, with afterburner on, can exceed mach 2 and it can
carry 4 AIM-7 Sparrow air to air missile or the more advanced AIM-9 sidewinders, more than 8000kg of bombs, external fuel tanks, guided bombs and air to ground missiles for ground attack missions. The earlier models didn't include any
cannon, just air to air missiles, however the later models did include a 20mm M61 Vulcan rotary
cannon. There are 2 crews consisting of the pilor and a weapon system officer. The jet, with its
heavy airframe, can reach mach 2.2 with its afterburning General Electric J79 engine. The Phantoms have a advanced radar system which can alert the crews of incoming threats even beyond visual range. The Phantoms also have a monitor for the pilot to see the radar pings, which was a very advanced technology back in the 60s. Around 5200 of these fighter jets were produced in the span of over 20 years.