# McDonnell Douglas Phantom in UK service

The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II was one of the principal combat aircraft of the United Kingdom (UK) from 1968 to 1992. The UK was the first export customer for the US-built F-4 Phantom, which was ordered in the context of political and economic difficulties around British designs for similar aircraft. The Phantom was procured to serve in both the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm and the Royal Air Force (RAF) in several roles including air defence, close air support, low-level attack and tactical reconnaissance.
Most Phantoms operated by the UK were built as a special batch containing a significant amount of British technology. This was a means of supporting the British aerospace industry in the wake of major project cancellations. Two variants were initially built for the UK: the F-4K variant was designed from the outset as an air-defence interceptor to be operated by the Fleet Air Arm from the Royal Navy's aircraft carriers, and the F-4M version was procured for the RAF to serve in tactical strike and reconnaissance roles. In the mid-1980s, a third Phantom variant was obtained when fifteen second-hand F-4J aircraft were purchased to augment the UK's air defences following the Falklands War.
The Phantom entered service with both the Fleet Air Arm and the RAF in 1969. In Fleet Air Arm service, while primarily intended for fleet air defence, it had secondary conventional and nuclear strike roles, while in the RAF it was soon replaced in its initial tasks by other aircraft designed specifically for strike, close air support and reconnaissance, and instead was moved to the air-defence mission. By the mid-1970s, the Phantom had become the UK's principal interceptor; it continued in this role until 1992, when it was withdrawn as part of a series of post-Cold War defence cuts.

## Background

In the late 1950s, the British Government began the process of replacing its early second-generation jet combat aircraft in service with the RAF and Fleet Air Arm. At the time, the British aerospace industry was still the major provider of aircraft to the British Armed Forces, and designs from several companies were in service. The 1957 Defence White Paper precipitated a significant change in the industry; as well as cancelling several aircraft under development, the government compelled major aerospace manufacturers to amalgamate using new aircraft contracts as an incentive. As a result, by 1960 two large groups had emerged – the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC), formed by the amalgamation of the aircraft activities of English Electric, Vickers-Armstrongs, and Bristol Aircraft with the acquisition of Hunting; and Hawker Siddeley Aviation, into which the existing Hawker Siddeley Group (Hawker, Avro, Gloster, Armstrong Whitworth) absorbed Folland, de Havilland and Blackburn.
At this time, the RAF wished to replace the English Electric Canberra light bomber in the long-range interdictor role, and the Hawker Hunter in the close air support role, while the Royal Navy (RN) sought an aircraft to assume the fleet air defence role from the de Havilland Sea Vixen. Prior to the formation of BAC, English Electric and Vickers were working together on a high-performance strike aircraft, the TSR-2, which was intended for long-range, low-level strike missions with conventional and tactical nuclear weapons, as well as tactical reconnaissance. Hawker Siddeley was also developing the P.1154, a proposed supersonic version of its P.1127 V/STOL demonstrator, that could be marketed to both the RAF and RN to fulfil several roles, including close air support, air superiority, and fleet air defence.
During the early 1960s, aircraft development became increasingly expensive, resulting in major projects often becoming mired in political and economic concerns. With this, the TSR-2 project experienced increasing cost overruns, and the P.1154 was subject to the ongoing inter-service rivalry between the RN and RAF. This led to two wildly differing specifications being submitted for the P.1154 that were impossible to fulfil with a single airframe. As a result, in February 1964 the RN withdrew from the P.1154 project, and moved to procure a new fleet air defence interceptor. It eventually selected the McDonnell F-4 Phantom – then in service with the United States Navy (USN) – as its primary air defence aircraft, intended to be operated from both existing and planned aircraft carriers. This better suited the RN, as the Phantom had two engines (providing redundancy in the event of an engine failure), was cheaper than the P.1154, and was available immediately.
In October 1964, a general election brought the Labour Party back into power. The new government undertook a defence review, which led to the cancellation of several projects, including both the P.1154 and the TSR-2 in early 1965. This was followed by the publication in February 1966 of a defence white paper, through which the government had to find alternatives to replace the Canberra and Hunter for the RAF. To replace the Canberra in the long-range role (which was intended for the TSR-2), the General Dynamics F-111 was selected, with the intention that the RAF purchase a new variant with a sizable amount of British technology incorporated; the roles undertaken by the Hunter (for which P.1154 was to have been procured) would be undertaken by a further purchase of F-4 Phantoms.
Partly as a means of maintaining employment in the British aerospace industry, agreement was reached that major portions of the UK's Phantoms would be built domestically. Hawker Siddeley Aviation was thus appointed as McDonnell's primary UK partner in January 1965, to be responsible for repair, maintenance, design and modification work on Phantoms for the RAF and RN at Brough Aerodrome. Further work was delegated to BAC, at its Warton facility, and to Short Brothers in Belfast.
The F-4J variant, which was then the primary version in service with the USN, was the basis for the UK aircraft, subject to major redesign. The most significant change to the aircraft was the use of the larger and more powerful Rolls-Royce Spey turbofan in place of the General Electric J79 turbojet, to allow operations from the RN's smaller carriers. To accommodate the larger engines, BAC redesigned and built the entire rear fuselage section. Additionally, the Westinghouse AN/AWG-10 multi-mode radar carried by the F-4J was to be procured and built under licence by Ferranti. Approximately half of the structure and equipment of the UK's Phantoms was produced by British manufacturers; all the components were then shipped to St. Louis for assembly by McDonnell. The amount of British equipment installed was such that around 43% of the price of each airframe went to UK companies. The changes to the aircraft led to the two variants being given their own separate US series letters, the Fleet Air Arm version being designated as the F-4K and the RAF version as the F-4M.
The RN was happy with the Phantom as its Sea Vixen replacement, given that the type had been operational in the fleet air defence role with the USN since 1961. USN Phantoms had also successfully undertaken touch-and-go landings on HMS Hermes and HMS Victorious, with Victorious able to successfully launch and recover USN Phantoms from the carrier USS Ranger during her 1966 Far East deployment. The RAF however was less enthusiastic, as the Phantom was not optimised for the close air support role and had been selected as its Hunter replacement more as a way of decreasing the per-unit cost of the overall UK order.
Initially, there was an intention to procure up to 400 aircraft for the RN and the RAF, but the development cost for the changes to accommodate the new engines and other equipment meant that the per-unit price eventually ended up more than twice the price of an F-4J. The estimate of the total cost of the project was £300 million in 1966. However, by the time the last aircraft had been delivered, the total cost of the procurement was £500 million, £200 million of which was spent on the elements of the aircraft produced in the UK. Due to government policy, the budget for the Phantom procurement was fixed. Therefore these costs could not be evened out by a large production run and only 170 were ordered.

## Operational history
### Prototypes

At first, the British Government ordered a total of four prototypes, designated as YF-4K and YF-4M, with two of each built. The first UK Phantom, a YF-4K, initially flew on 27 June 1966 at the McDonnell plant in St. Louis. This aircraft primarily tested the Spey turbofan engines and, as such, was not fitted with a full set of UK equipment. After this, the second YF-4K made its maiden flight on 31 August 1966. The following year, the two YF-4M prototypes also flew for the first time, with all four aircraft primarily used as part of McDonnell's testing programme. In addition to the four prototypes, a pair of pre-production F-4K aircraft were also produced, which were initially used for fit check trials of the various systems to be fitted. The first was used for catapult/arrestor and deck landing trials, and the second was primarily for testing the radar and missile systems. All six test aircraft remained with McDonnell until they were delivered to the UK in 1969 and 1970 for continued test work by the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE), Ministry of Defence Procurement Executive, Rolls-Royce, and BAC (and later its successor, British Aerospace).

### F-4K Phantom FG.1
#### Royal Navy

On 1 July 1964, the Phantom was ordered for the Fleet Air Arm, to serve as the RN's primary fleet air defence aircraft, with a secondary strike capability. It was intended that these aircraft would operate from the decks of four aircraft carriers: HMS Eagle and HMS Ark Royal – both of which would be rebuilt to enable the operation of the aircraft – plus at least two planned ships of what was known as CVA-01, a proposed new carrier design.
Comparison of UK fleet carriers :
| Carrier | Displacement | Length | Beam | Size of air group |
| HMS Queen Elizabeth (proposed) | 63,000 long tons (64,000 t) | 925 ft (282 m) | 184 ft (56 m) | Up to 50 |
| HMS Ark Royal | 53,000 long tons (54,000 t) | 803 ft 5 in (244.88 m) | 171 ft (52 m) | 39 |
| HMS Eagle | 54,100 long tons (55,000 metric tons) | 811 ft 5 in (247.32 m) | 171 ft (52 m) | 41 |
| HMS Victorious | 35,500 long tons (36,100 metric tons) | 781 ft (238 m) | 157 ft (48 m) | 33 |
| HMS Hermes | 28,700 long tons (29,200 metric tons) | 744 ft (227 m) | 144.5 ft (44.0 m) | 30 |
The requirements for the intended force of four aircraft carriers meant that five Fleet Air Arm squadrons of Phantoms would be needed. However, following the change of government in October 1964, and the subsequent 1966 Defence White Paper, the new carriers were cancelled, and a gradual rundown of fixed-wing aviation in the RN was begun. This led to a reduction in the total order from 140 to 48, with options for another seven. The intention was to form a pair of front-line squadrons, each of twelve aircraft, that would operate from the two remaining, heavily modernised fleet carriers. The remaining 24 aircraft were to be used to form a training unit, and to provide a reserve pool in the event of aircraft losses.
The RN received its first F-4K Phantoms, which were given the British designation FG.1, in April 1968. These were assigned to 700P Naval Air Squadron (700P NAS), which was to serve as the Intensive Flying Trials Unit (IFTU). After this, upon completion of the successful flight trials, 767 Naval Air Squadron was commissioned in January 1969 as the Fleet Air Arm's operational conversion unit, followed at the end of March 1969 by 892 Naval Air Squadron, which was commissioned as the RN's first operational Phantom unit. During 892 NAS's initial work-up, three of its aircraft were entered into the Daily Mail Trans-Atlantic Air Race, a competition to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first trans-Atlantic flight. One aircraft, crewed by Lt Commander Brian Davies and Lt Commander Pete Goddard, set a record of four hours and 46 minutes for the west to east crossing between Floyd Bennett Field in New York City and Wisley Airfield outside London, a record that stood for five years.
At the same time as the Fleet Air Arm was receiving its first aircraft, the A&AEE had three FG.1s delivered to its 'C' Squadron for flight deck trials aboard Eagle. Two sets of trials were successfully carried out; the first, in March 1969, comprised approaches and touch-and-go landings, with the second set of trials, held the following June, involving full catapult launch and arrested recovery. As a result of the reheat from the Spey turbofans, the ship's jet blast deflectors (JBD) were not used; instead a steel plate was fixed to the deck to absorb the heat of the engines building to launch, and fire hoses were used after each launch, to prevent them from melting.
To successfully accommodate the Phantom, Ark Royal had entered refit in 1967. The ship underwent a major reconstruction, including several elements to allow operation of the aircraft. This included increasing the area of the flight deck, which was also fully angled to 8½°, and replacing the arresting gear with a new water-spray system to accommodate the Phantom's higher weight and landing speed. In addition, bridle catchers and water-cooled JBDs were fitted. Once this work was complete, Eagle was scheduled to undergo a similar modernisation. But, in 1968, the government announced plans to completely phase out fixed-wing aviation in the RN, decommissioning all of its aircraft carriers by 1972. The intended refit of Eagle was thus cancelled, and the options for seven additional FG.1s were not taken up. As a consequence, it was decided to further reduce the Fleet Air Arm's Phantom fleet to 28 aircraft.
The 1970 change of government led to a reprieve for the Fleet Air Arm, as it was decided that the cost of refitting Ark Royal was too much for only two more years of use. This led to the ship being retained in service as the RN's sole aircraft carrier. As it was believed that 892 NAS would be the final carrier-based fixed-wing squadron to be commissioned into the Fleet Air Arm, their Phantoms each bore a capital Omega (Ω) on their tail fins, intended to symbolise their place at the end of the RN's era of fixed-wing aviation.
Ark Royal embarked 892 NAS as part of her air group for the first time in 1970, with 12 aircraft. The first operational use of the RN's Phantoms had been in 1969, when 892 NAS had embarked for training on the US aircraft carrier USS Saratoga in the Mediterranean, and had undertaken air defence missions alongside the ship's own F-4Js. This deployment showed the necessity for the modifications fitted to Ark Royal; the initial launches from Saratoga saw the heat from the afterburners cause the deck plates to distort, leading to subsequent catapult launches being undertaken at reduced weight without the use of reheat. During Ark Royal's first three-year commission, 892 NAS, which had initially used RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset as its home base, moved to RAF Leuchars in Fife, where, during the periods when it was not embarked, it undertook Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) duties alongside No. 43 Squadron. At the same time, 767 NAS was disbanded as the RN's Phantom training unit; the squadron had been the joint training unit for both the Fleet Air Arm and the RAF in using the FG.1. In its place, an RAF-operated Phantom Training Flight was established at RAF Leuchars in August 1972. The Phantom served in the Fleet Air Arm until 1978, when Ark Royal was withdrawn from service, leaving no ship in the RN capable of operating the type.
The final catapult launch from Ark Royal was a Phantom of 892 NAS on 27 November 1978 during the disembarkation of the air group at the end of the ship's final deployment. Having left the ship, the squadron's aircraft, alongside all of the RN's remaining Phantoms, were delivered to RAF St Athan in Glamorgan, where they were handed over to the RAF.

#### Royal Air Force

Following the cancellation of the planned refit of HMS Eagle to allow her to operate the Phantom, 20 airframes that had originally been ordered for the Fleet Air Arm were diverted to the RAF to serve in the air defence role. At the time, the RAF's primary interceptor was the English Electric Lightning, which had comparatively poor range, loiter time, and weapons fit. These limitations hampered its effectiveness, especially in long interceptions of Soviet Air Forces and Soviet Naval Aviation bombers and reconnaissance aircraft over the North Sea and North Atlantic. So, using the 20 diverted airframes, a new Phantom squadron was established at RAF Leuchars, the UK's most northerly air defence base at the time, to take advantage of the improvements that the Phantom provided over the Lightning: it could carry more fuel, and had consequently better range and endurance; it was fitted with a more powerful radar; and it could carry more missiles (up to eight, compared to two for the Lightning). On 1 September 1969, No. 43 Squadron formed at Leuchars, operating as part of the UK's northern Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) zone alongside the Lightnings of No. 11 Squadron and No. 23 Squadron. When, in March 1972, No. 11 Squadron was redeployed to join No. 5 Squadron at RAF Binbrook, it was replaced at Leuchars by the RN Phantoms of 892 NAS.
Upon the withdrawal of HMS Ark Royal in 1978, the Phantoms of the Fleet Air Arm were handed over to the RAF and used to form a second squadron at Leuchars. At the time, No. 111 Squadron was stationed at Leuchars operating the FGR.2 version of the Phantom, having replaced No. 23 Squadron there in 1975. In 1979, to save costs resulting from the differences between the FG.1 and FGR.2, the squadron converted to the ex-Navy aircraft and the FGR.2 airframes were distributed to other Phantom units. At the same time as No. 111 Squadron converted to the FG.1, the Phantom Training Flight, which had been resident at Leuchars since 1972, was disbanded, and responsibility for all Phantom conversion training turned over to No. 228 Operational Conversion Unit (228 OCU).
Both RAF units retained the FG.1 until 1989 – on 31 July that year, No. 43 Squadron was stood down in preparation for conversion to the new Tornado F.3, which began with the arrival of the first examples two months later. Following the standing down of No. 43 Squadron, the FG.1s of No. 111 Squadron provided the sole QRA cover from Leuchars for the remainder of 1989 and into 1990, before being stood down on 31 January for conversion to the Tornado. Since the final withdrawal of the type from service, four complete FG.1 airframes, plus one of the YF-4K prototypes, have survived.

### F-4M Phantom FGR.2
#### Close air support

Following the cancellation of both the TSR-2 and P.1154 programmes, the RAF still needed aircraft for the long-range strike, close air support, and reconnaissance roles. Two aircraft types were ordered − the General Dynamics F-111K (a new variant specific for RAF use) for the long-range interdiction role, and the F-4M Phantom for close air support, with both aircraft to be fitted for reconnaissance. The F-111K was cancelled in 1968 due to increasing costs, but 150 Phantoms were initially ordered for the RAF alongside the Phantom order for the RN. Ultimately however, only 118 Phantoms were purchased, with the final 32 units of the RAF order eventually being cancelled. The RAF Phantom, given the designation FGR.2, was broadly similar to the naval version, with some minor variations in terms of engines, avionics and structure relating to its use as a land-based rather than carrier-based aircraft.
The first RAF Phantom unit was No. 228 Operational Conversion Unit, which was stood up in August 1968. The Phantom entered operational service as part of RAF Strike Command in May 1969, when No. 6 Squadron was formed at RAF Coningsby in the tactical strike role. No. 54 Squadron was formed in September the same year, followed by No. 41 Squadron in 1972 as a tactical reconnaissance unit. A further four squadrons were formed under the auspices of RAF Germany in 1970 and 1971: No. 2 Squadron, No. 14 Squadron, No. 17 Squadron, and No. 31 Squadron, all at RAF Brüggen.
Along with their conventional strike role, No. 14, No. 17, and No. 31 Squadrons were assigned a tactical nuclear strike role by Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SACEUR), using weapons supplied by the United States. After initial work-up, No. 2 Squadron operated from RAF Laarbruch in the tactical reconnaissance role. The aircraft assigned to the two tactical reconnaissance units were wired to allow a pod to be carried containing four optical cameras, an infrared linescan and a sideways-looking radar.
In October 1970, the RAF ordered 165 examples of a new aircraft, the SEPECAT Jaguar, intended to fill both the tactical strike and reconnaissance missions, replacing the Phantom. The Phantom had been purchased as a stop-gap to fulfil the close air support role. But, as it was derived from the interceptor version used by the US Navy, it was not especially well suited to operate as a close air support aircraft. By contrast, the Jaguar had been specifically designed to undertake both close air support and reconnaissance. The procurement of the Jaguar led to a re-think of the Phantom's role as, at the same time, the limitations of the Lightning as an interceptor were becoming more apparent. The conversion of FGR.2 squadrons to operate the Jaguar, combined with its procurement of the Blackburn Buccaneer as a long-range interdictor to enhance the RAF's strike capability, meant that it was possible to begin transferring Phantoms to operate purely as air defence interceptors. The first Phantom squadron to convert to the Jaguar was No. 6 Squadron on 1 October 1974, with the last, No. 41 Squadron, being declared operational in April 1977.

#### Air defence

In October 1974, No. 111 Squadron converted from the Lightning to the Phantom FGR.2, becoming the first unit to operate the variant in the air defence role. Then, as more Jaguars were delivered, Phantoms were released enabling more Lightning squadrons to be converted; No. 19 Squadron and No. 92 Squadron, the forward-deployed air defence units in West Germany, converted in 1976 and 1977 respectively, at the same time moving from RAF Gütersloh, which was the closest RAF base to the East German border, to RAF Wildenrath, taking advantage of the Phantom's superior range over the Lightning. Three other UK-based units, No. 23 Squadron, No. 29 Squadron and No. 56 Squadron, were also converted between 1974 and 1976. No. 111 Squadron, which had been the first unit to use the FGR.2 as an interceptor, converted to the FG.1 version in 1979 following the transfer of the RN's remaining airframes to the RAF. The Phantom subsequently served as the RAF's primary interceptor for over a decade until the introduction into service of the Panavia Tornado F.3 in 1987.
When Phantoms were first delivered to interceptor squadrons, they remained in the grey-green disruptive colouration camouflage scheme more associated with the strike and close air support missions they had originally undertaken. However, during the late 1970s, the RAF began experimenting with new colours for its air defence units. In October 1978, No. 56 Squadron was tasked with trialling proposed new schemes, with one of its Phantom FGR.2s the first to be painted in the new "air superiority grey" colour combined with small low-visibility roundels and markings. After the completion of the colour trials and the adoption of barley grey, the roundel remained in low-visibility colours, but individual squadron markings eventually returned to more observable sizes and colours.
In May 1982, three Phantoms from No. 29 Squadron were forward deployed to RAF Wideawake on Ascension Island. The Phantoms were tasked with providing air cover for the RAF's operations during the Falklands War, replacing Harriers of No. 1 Squadron that were en route to the war zone. Having made a 10.5-hour, 4,000-mile transit on 24 May, one of the longest non-stop flights by a fighter aircraft in the history of the RAF, the first two Phantoms arrived and were immediately prepared for QRA duties. The originally open-ended deployment ultimately lasted a total of five weeks, with the Phantom detachment on Ascension being stood down on 14 July. In October 1982, following the end of the conflict and the reconstruction of the runway, No. 29 Squadron detached nine of its aircraft to RAF Stanley, where they assumed responsibility for the air defence of the Falkland Islands from the Sea Harriers of 809 NAS, which had been operating from the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious. Over the course of the unit's time in the South Atlantic, the original personnel from No. 29 Squadron returned to the UK to be replaced by personnel from other Phantom squadrons. This turnover of personnel led to the unit becoming officially referred to as simply "Phandet" (short for "Phantom Detachment") until, in March 1983, No. 23 Squadron officially took up the role. No. 23 Squadron remained in the Falklands until October 1988, after which it returned to the UK to become a newly formed Tornado squadron. Its role as the main air defence unit in the Falklands was taken up by No. 1435 Flight.
Initially, it was intended that Phantoms and Tornados would serve alongside each other. A total of 152 Tornado F.3s were ordered for the RAF, enough to convert four squadrons of Phantoms and two of Lightnings but insufficient to completely convert every air defence squadron. The intention was to retain a pair of UK-based Phantom squadrons at RAF Wattisham until the early 2000s, alongside a pair of Tornado units at RAF Coningsby to provide air defence cover for the southern half of the UK Air Defence Region. Another two squadrons stationed in Germany would also be retained. However, the end of the Cold War saw the Phantom withdrawn from service under the Options for Change defence review. This saw the disbanding of No. 228 Operational Conversion Unit in January 1991, with the Phantom Training Flight (which had previously operated as the FG.1 training unit between 1972 and 1978) re-established for twelve months to run refresher courses on the type.
As part of the gradual rundown of the RAF's presence in Germany, the two forward-based units were to be disbanded, and there would also be a reduction in the number of air defence squadrons, leading to the two UK-based units being disbanded in late 1992. Just prior to the final withdrawal of the Phantom, it was recalled operationally as a result of Operation Granby, the UK's participation in the First Gulf War, when aircraft from No. 19 and No. 92 Squadrons were forward deployed to provide air defence cover at RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus; this was to replace the Tornados that had been originally deployed there on exercise, and were subsequently sent to the Gulf region. Since the withdrawal of the FGR.2, a total of 12 complete airframes have survived.

### F-4J(UK) Phantom F.3

In 1982, following the deployment of a Phantom squadron to the Falkland Islands, the government decided that the resulting gap in the UK's air defences needed to be filled, and so sought to raise an additional interceptor squadron. Although, at that time, there were surplus Lightnings in storage, a lack of pilots qualified on the type prevented the formation of a third Lightning squadron, a proposal that had originally been mooted in 1979. To fill the gap resulting from the transfer of No. 23 Squadron to the South Atlantic, the government decided to purchase another squadron's worth of Phantoms. Because the aircraft in RAF service were a special production batch built to UK specifications, it was not possible to obtain identical aircraft, and so the RAF looked to versions of the Phantom that were as close as possible to their existing variants.
Initially, the UK looked to procure a batch of F-4S aircraft – the F-4S was the most up-to-date version of the Phantom in service with the US Navy, having been produced through a programme to update the existing F-4J with new engines, hydraulics, electronics and modified wings. However, the US Navy couldn't at the time spare enough F-4S aircraft to allow the RAF to establish an entire squadron. So, as a fall-back option, surplus US Navy and US Marine Corps F-4J aircraft were looked at instead. Because the F-4J was the variant from which the RAF's F-4Ks and F-4Ms were developed, it was the closest available version in similarity to the British aircraft. Fifteen airframes, each with no more than 4,300 hours, were selected from among the best of the ex-USN F-4Js stored at the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center (colloquially known as "The Boneyard") at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona.
The 15 that were ultimately procured were extensively refurbished at the Naval Air Rework Facility (NARF) at Naval Air Station North Island and brought to a standard almost equivalent to the F-4S, the only differences being the absence of both leading-edge slats and a helmet-mounted gun sight. Work began in September 1983, with the rollout of the first completed aircraft in August 1984. Two months later, sufficient numbers had arrived at RAF Wattisham in Suffolk to allow No. 74 Squadron, which had been designated as the new unit to operate the type, to be stood up. The squadron was declared operational on 31 December 1984.
The major difference between the F-4J and the British Phantoms was the absence of the Rolls-Royce Spey turbofan, the former being fitted with the General Electric J79-10B turbojet. Initially capable of carrying the AIM-7 Sparrow and AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles (AAM), they were soon made compatible with the Skyflash (a British development of the Sparrow) and the SUU-23/A gun pod, largely bringing them into line with the rest of the RAF's Phantoms. Despite modifications to allow them to operate with the rest of the fleet, the F-4Js retained the vast bulk of the equipment they were originally fitted with, even requiring their crews to use American flying helmets. However, much of this US equipment was eventually replaced when the fleet went through a refurbishment in 1989. As part of their initial refurbishment in 1983, the airframes also underwent painting – at the time, the RAF's interceptor force was being repainted in the air superiority grey colour that had been first used in 1978. However, the paint shop at the NARF was unable to accurately replicate the barley grey colour, with the closest available in the US Navy's stores being a shade known as "flint grey". While two airframes received colour schemes close to the requirement, the majority ended with a different variation of the attempted colour scheme, which resembled a pale blue / duck-egg green in certain conditions.
Although the new Phantoms were assigned a British designation as the F.3, to avoid confusion with the incoming Tornado ADV (the definitive version of which was also designated F.3) they were generally referred to as the F-4J(UK). Upon being declared operational, No. 74 Squadron remained stationed at RAF Wattisham, with its F-4J(UK) aircraft forming part of the UK's QRA force for the southern air defence identification zone alongside F-4M Phantoms of No. 56 Squadron. When they were procured, the 15 airframes were expected to have a five-year service lifespan; ultimately however, the F.3 was retained for seven years. In 1990, thanks to the conversion of F-4M squadrons to the Tornado, the RAF was able to transfer the best of its remaining FGR.2s to No. 74 Squadron, which led to the F.3 being withdrawn in January 1991. One of the last major tasks for the F.3 came in August 1990, when No. 74 Squadron provided aircraft to operate as adversaries for Tornado strike aircraft undertaking dissimilar air combat training prior to their deployment as part of Operation Granby. A total of two complete F.3 airframes have survived following the type's withdrawal.

## Differences
### Between the FG.1 and FGR.2

The Phantom FG.1 and FGR.2 as built were similar, being fitted with broadly the same turbofan jet engines and avionics, although there were minor differences. The FG.1 was initially fitted with the Mark 201 version of the Rolls-Royce Spey, while the FGR.2 had the Mark 202; the Mark 201 had an unacceptable time lag between throttle movement and engine response, which was remedied in the 202. The 201 was eventually upgraded to the Mark 203 version, which had a modified control system for the afterburner, allowing it to light faster and enable power to be applied quickly in the event of a bolter on the small decks of the RN's aircraft carriers. Both variants were fitted with a version of the same avionics package; the FG.1 was fitted with the AN/AWG-11, which differed primarily in having a nose radome that was hinged and able to fold backward against the aircraft's fuselage to allow for storage in the hangar of an aircraft carrier, and was designed to be integrated with both the AGM-12 Bullpup missile and the WE.177 free-fall nuclear weapon as required. Meanwhile, the AN/AWG-12 fitted to the FGR.2 did not need a folding radome. It had a better ground-mapping mode, to take into account the strike role for which the type was originally procured, combined with a Ferranti inertial navigation/attack system (removed when the type converted to the air defence role). Additionally, as the FGR.2 was procured to undertake the tactical reconnaissance mission, 30 airframes were specifically wired to allow carriage of the reconnaissance pod developed by EMI. It was also configured to be able to control the SUU-23/A gun pod; FG.1s used by the RAF were also able to use the gun pod, but the RN's FG.1s lacked this capability.

### Between British Phantoms and other Phantoms

Although there were only minor variations between the two types of Phantom built for the UK, there were many significant differences between the British Phantoms and those built for the United States. The most obvious was the substitution of the Rolls-Royce Spey turbofan for the General Electric J79 turbojet. The Spey was shorter but wider than the J79, which meant that the British Phantoms' rear fuselage had to be widened by 152 millimetres (6 inches). The position of the afterburner also meant that the rear of the fuselage had to be made deeper. Furthermore, the engine had higher mass flow rates, which required the intakes to be enlarged by 20% and led to a consequent increase in drag. To further increase airflow at lower speeds, auxiliary intake doors were fitted on the rear fuselage. Performance estimates of the British Phantom compared to its American equivalent indicated that the former had a 30% shorter take-off distance, 20% faster climb to altitude, higher top speed, and longer range. The Spey was more efficient at lower altitudes and had better acceleration at low speed, giving British Phantoms better range and acceleration. The engine's superiority in these areas was shown during the deployment of 892 NAS to the Mediterranean aboard USS Saratoga in 1969, when the F-4K was repeatedly quicker off the deck than the F-4J used by the Americans. Conversely, it was less efficient at higher altitudes; the British Phantoms lacked speed compared to J79-powered versions, owing to the increased drag of the redesigned fuselage. This discrepancy became apparent when the F-4J was obtained by the UK in 1984; it was regarded as being the best of the three variants to serve in the RAF.
The small size of the aircraft carriers HMS Eagle and HMS Ark Royal, compared to the USN carriers of the period, meant that the F-4K version required significant structural changes compared to the F-4J, from which it was descended and which performed a similar role. As well as the folding nose radome to allow for storage in the smaller hangars of the British ships, a significantly strengthened undercarriage was needed, to account for higher landing weights (British policy was to bring back unused ordnance). Additionally, the F-4J featured a nosewheel oleo that extended by 20 inches (51 centimetres) to provide the correct take-off attitude for launch from American catapults. The F-4K's nosewheel oleo extended by 40 inches (100 centimetres) to provide the required 9° take-off attitude due to the shorter and less powerful British catapults. It was also fitted with drooping ailerons, enlarged leading edge flaps, a slotted tailplane, and increased flap and leading edge blowing, all to improve the lift and handling characteristics of the aircraft during operation from the much smaller carriers of the Royal Navy.
As the Phantom continued in service, other changes were made, most notably the Marconi ARI.18228 Radar Warning Receiver (RWR), which was fitted to the top of the vertical stabiliser of FG.1 and FGR.2 Phantoms in the mid-1970s, but not to the F.3, which retained the original RWR in fairings on the leading edges of the wings. The F.3 also retained its original AN/AWG-10 radar, which was upgraded to AN/AWG-10B standard as part of the procurement package; included in the upgraded radar system was an improved digital computer that provided enhanced search and tracking capabilities that proved superior to the analogue computer fitted to the derived AN/AWG-11 and AN/AWG-12 units in the FG.1 and FGR.2. This made both the search and tracking modes in the F.3 clearer and more reliable compared to other UK Phantoms. From 1978, the Skyflash AAM, derived from the AIM-7 Sparrow, began to be delivered to RAF Phantom units. All three UK Phantom variants were eventually fitted to operate the Skyflash and the SUU-23/A gun pod. Phantom squadrons used Skyflash concurrently with the Sparrow, with the RAF's stocks of Sparrows used up as the Phantom approached its out-of-service date.
* UK versions compared
* FG.1: 40 in (100 cm) telescopic nosewheel oleo; nose radome hinged to swing back; wider and shorter engine exhausts; bigger air intakes; deeper rear fuselage; RWR installation on tail-fin
* FGR.2: no telescopic nosewheel; nose radome not hinged; wider and shorter engine exhausts; bigger air intakes; deeper rear fuselage; RWR installation on tail-fin
* F.3: 20 in (51 cm) telescopic nosewheel oleo; nose radome not hinged; narrower and longer exhausts; narrower air intakes; shallower rear fuselage; RWR fairings on wing leading edges; no RWR installation on tail

## Aircraft production

Construction of the UK's Phantom fleet began with the test examples – two FG.1 prototypes and two FGR. 2 prototypes, plus a pair of pre-production FG.1 airframes – being rolled out during 1966 and early 1967, while the initial production model flew for the first time on 18 September 1967. Subsequently, on 29 April 1968, the first three FG.1s were delivered to RNAS Yeovilton. The first FGR.2 arrived on 18 July 1968, with deliveries continuing throughout 1968 and 1969. The final Spey-powered Phantom to be delivered, an FGR.2, arrived at the end of October 1969. Of the units originally earmarked to operate the Phantom, No. 41 Squadron was the final one to be stood up when it was formed in April 1972. The fifteen F.3 aircraft formed part of an overall total of 522 F-4J Phantoms that were delivered to the US Navy and US Marine Corps. The selected airframes proved to be a mix of examples that had spent their entire service in the United States, including one that had served its entire career with VX-4, one of the US Navy's test squadrons, and aircraft that had seen combat during the Vietnam War. The first three F.3s arrived at RAF Wattisham on 30 August 1984, with the final examples delivered in January 1985.
The first batch of F-4 Phantoms produced for the UK received military serial registrations in the XT range, with a total of 44 production models (20 × FG.1 and 24 × FGR.2) plus the four prototypes and two pre-production models being given XT serial numbers. However, the bulk of the UK's specially built Phantoms (28 × FG.1 and 94 × FGR.2) as well as the two cancelled sets of airframes (7 × FG.1 and 32 × FGR.2) received XV numbers. The second-hand examples (15 × F.3) obtained in 1984 received serials in the ZE range.

### Other UK Phantom proposals

Although the Phantom was ordered in 1966, the variants that were eventually constructed were not the first to be offered to the UK. McDonnell Aircraft had been conducting studies into the possibility of the RN using the Phantom on its carriers since 1959.

#### Other proposed Spey-powered Phantoms

McDonnell concluded that more power was needed than the J79 turbojet could provide to operate from the smaller decks of British carriers and, as a result, consulted Rolls-Royce about whether the RB-168 Spey turbofan, then in development for use in the Blackburn Buccaneer, could be fitted to the aircraft. In 1960, McDonnell approached the RAF with model numbers 98CJ and 98 cm, which were variants of the F4H-1 (later F-4B) with modifications, including the installation of the Spey Mk.101 turbofan. McDonnell also continued studies, proposing afterburning Mk.101 engines in 1962, and trials of an F-4B fitted with an extendable nosewheel oleo, which took place aboard USS Forrestal in 1963. The same year, McDonnell proposed a number of Spey-powered F-4B derivatives, all featuring the extendable nosewheel oleo – model number 98ER was the basic version, model number 98ES had drooping ailerons, and model number 98ET had a revised wing design with higher lift properties. In 1964, the company proposed the model 98FC, which was identical to the F-4D variant but would have been fitted with the RB.168-25R.

#### Variable-geometry Phantom

In 1966, McDonnell released a proposal for a variable-geometry (VG) version of the Phantom. This was intended as McDonnell's submission for the Naval Fighter Experimental competition, which was started to find a replacement for the failed F-111B project as a new fleet air defence fighter for the US Navy. This was unsuccessful, with the aircraft that ultimately became the F-14 Tomcat selected. However, the company persisted with its vision of a VG Phantom, which included a version that was offered to the RAF as a potential alternative to the AFVG aircraft then under development in a partnership between the UK and France. The VG Phantom concept shared a significant amount of commonality with the UK's versions of the Phantom, including the use of the Rolls-Royce Spey engine, but the proposal was ultimately rejected as not offering sufficient increase in capability over the AFVG. The idea was resurrected when the RAF was looking to replace both the existing variants of the Phantom, as well as the Lightning, in the early 1970s – by this time the AFVG had been cancelled, but the new Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) was under development. The lack of appreciable improvement in performance, combined with the potential that the MRCA development might be affected, nevertheless saw the proposal rejected a second time.

#### RF-4M

A further proposal came while the order for the F-4M was being finalised, and was a result of the UK's need for an aircraft to perform the tactical reconnaissance role. Both the US Marine Corps (RF-4B) and the US Air Force (RF-4C) operated dedicated reconnaissance versions of the Phantom. However, neither of these was a viable option for the UK, due to cost issues, so McDonnell instead offered two options:
* The standard F-4M fitted with a reconnaissance pod in place of the centreline external fuel tank;
* A modified airframe, designated as RF-4M, with the reconnaissance equipment carried internally.
While the RF-4M would have been a dedicated reconnaissance version, it would have seen a 2.65 feet (0.81 m) plug added to the nose radome to house the camera installation, compared to the 4.9 feet (1.5 m) extension to the RF-4B and RF-4C. The RF-4M would have had some advantages, primarily in that it would have had greater range, as it would have been able to carry a centreline fuel tank. But it was discounted as the cost would have been higher, with consequently fewer aircraft purchased, while only those that had been modified would have been able to undertake the reconnaissance mission. Additionally, the installed reconnaissance equipment would have required the removal of the fire control system for the AIM-7 Sparrow missile, reducing the general capabilities of the aircraft. Ultimately therefore, the RAF chose the standard F-4M and external pod, which allowed all of its aircraft to perform all designated roles.

#### F-4(HL)

Another McDonnell proposal was a variation of the carrier-based Phantom, with the goals of improving catapult performance and lowering approach speeds. The F-4(HL), also known as Model 98HL, was planned as a Spey-powered aircraft with a longer fuselage and wingspan, less sweep, stabilators with increased area, and air intakes with auxiliary blow-in doors to increase airflow at low speeds. This proposal was not taken forward.

## Replacement
### Panavia Tornado

In the early 1970s, the RAF issued an Air Staff requirement (ASR) for the development of a new interceptor intended to replace both the Phantom and the Lightning. An early proposal was McDonnell Douglas's plan for a variable-geometry Phantom, which was ultimately rejected. An alternative idea, however, was to take the MRCA, which evolved into the Panavia Tornado, and develop an interceptor version. The UK's partners in the MRCA project displayed no enthusiasm for this air defence version of the Tornado, so the UK alone began the process, and the authorisation for what came to be known as the Tornado Air Defence Variant (ADV) was issued in March 1976. The initial plan was for the Tornado to replace the remaining two squadrons of Lightnings, as well as all seven squadrons of Phantoms.
While the Tornado was in development, the RAF looked at interim measures to replace the Phantom, which had been in service for over a decade by 1980 and was beginning to suffer from fatigue issues; one proposal was the lease or purchase of McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagles to re-equip No. 19 and No. 92 Squadrons, the units stationed in Germany. Alternative proposals were that up to 80 F-15s be procured, to replace the Phantom and Lightning squadrons then in service, and even that the Tornado be cancelled entirely and the F-15 be purchased with UK adaptations (specifically fitting of the AI.24 Foxhunter radar developed for the Tornado, and the Skyflash air-to-air missile).
In the end, however, the F-15 option was not seriously considered, as it was felt there would not be time or cost savings over the Tornado ADV. The Tornado ultimately replaced the Phantom in four squadrons – the two FG.1 units, plus two FGR.2 units (No. 23 and No. 29 Squadrons) – while two squadrons stationed in the UK (No. 56 and No. 74 Squadrons) and two stationed in Germany (No. 19 and No. 92 Squadrons) retained the Phantom.

### BAe Sea Harrier

In the 1970s, the RN was developing what was known as the 'through-deck cruiser', a 20,000-ton ship with a full-length flight deck intended to embark a squadron of large anti-submarine warfare helicopters. Almost as soon as the first ship, HMS Invincible, was ordered, another specification was added to the design: as well as the helicopters, a small squadron of Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) aircraft would form part of the air group to act as a deterrent to long-range reconnaissance aircraft. This concept initially dated back to 1963, when the prototype Hawker Siddeley P.1127 STOVL aircraft undertook initial landings aboard HMS Ark Royal. Three years later, a pre-production Hawker Siddeley Kestrel (which subsequently became the Harrier) conducted a series of extensive trials from HMS Bulwark, which proved the concept of using vertical landing aircraft aboard carriers. As a result, a navalised version of the Harrier was developed. Over the total period of its design process, the air defence role of the new aircraft, which was given the name Sea Harrier, was augmented by responsibility for reconnaissance and maritime strike missions. In March 1980, 14 months after 892 NAS was decommissioned and its Phantoms handed over to the RAF, 800 NAS was formed as the first operational Sea Harrier squadron.

### Aircraft that were replaced by and replaced the Phantom

Sir Sydney Camm, the Chief Designer at Hawker for many years, once said that no British aircraft could be considered a success until it was able to match the capabilities of the Phantom. In the RAF and RN, it was the direct replacement for four different aircraft types, across nine variants, in fifteen squadrons. In turn, the Phantom was replaced by three different aircraft in thirteen squadrons in the RAF and RN.
| Role | Aircraft replaced by Phantom | Total number of squadrons | Date | Aircraft replacing Phantom | Total number of squadrons | Date |
| Fleet air defence | Sea Vixen FAW.2 | one | 1969 | Sea Harrier FRS.1 | two | 1980 |
| Tactical reconnaissance | Hunter FR.10 | one | 1970 | Jaguar GR.1 | seven | 1976 |
| Tactical reconnaissance | Canberra PR.7 | two | 1970 | Jaguar GR.1 | seven | 1976 |
| Close air support / Tactical strike | Canberra B.16 | one | 1969 | Jaguar GR.1 | seven | 1974 |
| Close air support / Tactical strike | Canberra B(I).8 | one | 1970 | Jaguar GR.1 | seven | 1974 |
| Close air support / Tactical strike | Hunter FGA.9 | two | 1969 | Jaguar GR.1 | seven | 1974 |
| Air defence | Lightning F.2A | two | 1977 | Tornado F.3 | four | 1987 |
| Air defence | Lightning F.3 | five | 1974 | Tornado F.3 | four | 1987 |
| Air defence | Lightning F.6 | five | 1974 | Tornado F.3 | four | 1987 |

## Aircraft on display

The below list details the aircraft that are still complete following the final retirement of the Phantom, none of which are in flying condition. Additionally, a number of airframes had their nose sections, containing cockpits, saved following disposal.
* YF-4K (prototype)
** XT596 — Fleet Air Arm Museum, RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset, England.
* FG.1
** XT597 – British Phantom Aviation Group, Kemble, Gloucestershire, England.
** XT864 — Ulster Aviation Society, Maze-Long Kesh, Lisburn, Northern Ireland.
** XV582 — South Wales Aviation Museum, St Athan, Wales.
** XV586 — RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset, England.
* FGR.2
** XT891 — RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire, England.
** XT899 — Kbely Museum, Czech Republic.
** XT905 – British Phantom Aviation Group, Kemble, Gloucestershire, England.
** XT914 — Wattisham Airfield, Suffolk, England.
** XV401 — Bentwaters Cold War Museum, Woodbridge, Suffolk, England.
** XV406 — Solway Aviation Museum, Carlisle Airport, Cumbria, England.
** XV408 — Tangmere Military Aviation Museum, West Sussex, England.
** XV415 — RAF Boulmer, Alnwick, Northumberland, England.
** XV424 — Royal Air Force Museum London, Colindale, London, England.
** XV470 — RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus.
** XV474 — Imperial War Museum Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England.
** XV497 — Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum, Flixton, Suffolk, England.
* F.3
** ZE359 — American Air Museum, Imperial War Museum Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England.
** ZE360 – British Phantom Aviation Group, Kemble, Gloucestershire, England.
In October 2019, the British Phantom Aviation Group (BPAG) announced that, in partnership with the 74(F) Squadron Association, it had obtained ZE360, a Phantom F.3 stored at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre at Manston in Kent. The BPAG also announced plans to restore this aircraft, one of only two remaining complete examples of the F.3, with a goal of restoring it to its original RAF markings. ZE360 was one of three complete airframes procured by the BPAG – the group also obtained XT905, an FGR.2 that had been used as a training aid at North Luffenham in Rutland until 2013, and XT597, one of the two pre-production FG.1 aircraft that was used for its entire career by the A&AEE. By late 2024, all three airframes in the BPAG's collection had been moved to the group's new facility at Cotswold Airport, formerly RAF Kemble, in Gloucestershire, with a long term plan to restore all three for display.

## Accidents and incidents

| Country | Variant | Variant | Variant | Ref. |
| Country | FG.1 | FGR.2 | F.3 | Ref. |
| United Kingdom | 13 | 18 | 1 | |
| Germany | — | 7 | — | |
| Falkland Islands | — | 2 | — | |
| Netherlands | — | 2 | — | |
| Cyprus | — | 1 | — | |
| Denmark | — | 1 | — | |
| France | — | 1 | — | |
| United States | 1 | — | — | |
Between 1968 and 1992, a total of 55 Phantoms operated by the Fleet Air Army and the RAF were written off, with 47 of these involved in crashes. These crashes took place in a total of eight different countries and territories (see table) with the majority occurring in the United Kingdom. The most crashes were among the FGR.2 variant (32), which included 14 that occurred outside the UK. A total of 14 FG.1s were lost to crashes over the course of its service in both the Fleet Air Arm (7) and the RAF (7), with 13 of these incidents occurring in the UK. During its use by the RAF, only one of the total of 15 F.3s was lost to a crash. Of the aircraft crashes, a total of 39 people were killed, with three civilians losing their lives alongside 36 aircrew.
In addition to the 47 aircraft lost to crashes, another 8 were written off due to other incidents. Two incidents occurred when aircraft overran the runway upon landing, with it deemed uneconomical to repair them. Between 1990 and 1992, three aircraft suffered relatively minor damage in different incidents that, owing to the approaching withdrawal of the Phantom from service, it was decided was not worth repairing. Another three aircraft caught fire in various incidents, with two completely burned out, and a third not repaired owing to the imminent retirement of the Phantom.
As well as incidents that saw aircraft written off, there were many others that involved the Phantom, some which saw damage to a Phantom that was repaired, others which involved other aircraft:
* 9 November 1970 – A pair of Phantom FG.1s of 892 NAS were being launched from Ark Royal on a combat air patrol during Exercise LIME JUG in the Mediterranean. Having successfully launched the first aircraft, the second had engaged full power and, with the catapult under tension, was ready to be launched when the order came to hold before the launch was scrubbed altogether, requiring both the catapult and the engines to be wound down and made safe to ensure that the aircraft could no longer be launched. The cause of the scrub turned out to be that Ark Royal had collided with the Soviet Navy Kotlin-class destroyer Bravyy, which led to the first Phantom launched having to be diverted to Malta.
* 21 November 1977 – A Phantom FG.1 of No. 43 Squadron was part of a two-aircraft training sortie at RAF Leuchars. During its take-off run, as the speed increased past 100 kn (190 km/h), the pilot noticed that the aircraft was veering to the right. Despite applying left rudder, the Phantom continued to the right, which became more abrupt after passing 130 kn (240 km/h). Even with full left brakes and left rudder, plus the throttles moved back to abort the take-off, the aircraft swung off the runway. The aircraft ultimately came to a stop in the grass to the side of the runway, while the crew both ejected. An inquiry discovered that the cause of the problem was moisture in the nose wheel steering of the Phantom, which caused a short circuit that led to the nose wheel shifting 70 degrees to the right.
* 3 June 1980 – A Phantom FG.1 of No. 111 Squadron had been detached from RAF Leuchars to RAF Alconbury for training. During a routine sortie, the aircraft was being lined up for landing when the nose radome was seen to open slightly, close, and open again before folding back against the fuselage. The sudden asymmetric drag led to roll and yaw to the right from which the pilot was not able to regain control. The crew ejected successfully, with the aircraft crashing in a field short of the runway. The investigation ultimately found a significant amount of wear on the mechanism that locked the radome in place during flight, a fault that was found throughout the FG.1 fleet. This led to modifications to the nose locking mechanism to prevent a similar incident.
* 22 October 1981 – A Phantom FGR.2 of No. 228 OCU was on an instructional flight at RAF Coningsby, with an instructor in the rear cockpit and a qualifying student in the front. Having lined up on finals, the crew found that, while the undercarriage's main wheels had deployed successfully, the nose wheel had not. Despite protocol indicating that the aircraft should be taken out to sea to jettison the gun pod before attempting to land, the crew were ordered to jettison over the airfield. Having done so, the aircraft once again turned to line up for landing. The aircraft successfully touched down on the runway, coming to a stop resting on its nose, but with no injuries to the crew. The cause of the malfunction was eventually identified as a sheared bolt in the undercarriage preventing the deployment of the nosewheel.
* 25 May 1982 – A Phantom FGR.2 of No. 92 Squadron was part of an air defence exercise being run at RAF Wildenrath. As part of the exercise, the aircraft was scrambled to undertake a practice intercept of a pair of Jaguars from No. 14 Squadron. This was intended to involve the interceptor lining up for an attack, with the pilot then calling the brevity code for the weapon intended to be used. But, because the aircraft was part of Wildenrath's Quick Reaction Alert commitment that day, it was armed with live weapons, and an AIM-9G Sidewinder missile was inadvertently launched, destroying one of the Jaguars. Although the Jaguar pilot successfully ejected, the Phantom crew were ultimately held responsible for the incident and sent for court martial, where they received a severe reprimand.
* 18 May 1988 – A Phantom F.3 of No. 74 Squadron was detached from RAF Wattisham to RAF Akrotiri for an Armament Practice Camp deployment. Lined up on the runway alongside a second Phantom for a training sortie, the aircraft began its take-off run as normal. However, as it reached V$_1$ speed, the canopy of the forward cockpit detached itself from the airframe. Because the aircraft was at a speed that meant the take-off could not be aborted, the aircraft got into the air. The Phantom had to remain airborne for 20 minutes while the runway was cleared of debris, before returning safely. The subsequent investigation showed that the canopy's locking system had failed.

## Variants
### F-4J(UK)

Former US Navy and US Marine Corps F-4J airframes refurbished to F-4S standard with addition of some UK equipment; procured to supplement existing UK air defences following Falklands War. Given British designation F.3, although this not generally used. 15 produced.

### F-4K

UK-specific variant based on F-4J; designed primarily for use as carrier-based air defence interceptor with secondary strike role from Royal Navy aircraft carriers; also operated by Royal Air Force. Given British designation FG.1. 48 production models plus 2 pre-production test models built.

### F-4M

UK-specific variant based on F-4J; designed initially for use as close air support and tactical reconnaissance aircraft for Royal Air Force; eventually transferred to air defence role and operated as interceptor. Given British designation FGR.2. 116 built.

### RF-4M

Proposed specific variant of F-4M intended to fulfil tactical reconnaissance role; designed with integral camera installation in aircraft nose. Never built.

### YF-4K

Prototype version of F-4K primarily for development and testing of UK-specific features. 2 built.

### YF-4M

Prototype version of F-4M primarily for development and testing of UK-specific features. 2 built.

## Operators

FG.1
* Testing and evaluation
** Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE)
** 700P Naval Air Squadron – Fleet Air Arm
* Air defence
** 892 Naval Air Squadron – Fleet Air Arm
** No. 43 Squadron – RAF Strike Command
** No. 111 Squadron – RAF Strike Command
* Training
** 767 Naval Air Squadron – Operational Conversion Unit (Fleet Air Arm)
** No. 64 (R) Squadron – Operational Conversion Unit (RAF)
** Phantom Training Flight – Operational Conversion Unit (RAF)
FGR.2
* Close air support / tactical strike
** No. 6 Squadron – RAF Strike Command
** No. 14 Squadron – RAF Germany
** No. 17 Squadron – RAF Germany
** No. 31 Squadron – RAF Germany
** No. 54 Squadron – RAF Strike Command
* Tactical reconnaissance
** No. 2 Squadron – RAF Germany
** No. 41 Squadron – RAF Strike Command
* Air defence
** No. 19 Squadron – RAF Germany
** No. 23 Squadron – RAF Strike Command
** No. 29 Squadron – RAF Strike Command
** No. 56 Squadron – RAF Strike Command
** No. 74 Squadron – RAF Strike Command
** No. 92 Squadron – RAF Germany
** No. 111 Squadron – RAF Strike Command
** No. 1435 Flight – British Forces Falkland Islands
* Training
** No. 64 (R) Squadron – Operational Conversion Unit
** Phantom Training Flight – Refresher Training
F.3
* Air defence
** No. 74 Squadron – RAF Strike Command

## Specifications (F-4K)

Data from Aircraft of the Royal Navy since 1945; The Royal Navy Phantom II;
General characteristics
* Crew: 2
* Length: 57 ft 7 in (17.55 m)
* Wingspan: 38 ft 4.5 in (11.7 m)
* Height: 16 ft 1 in (4.9 m)
* Empty weight: 31,000 lb (14,061 kg)
* Max takeoff weight: 56,000 lb (25,402 kg)
* Fuel capacity: 2,790 imp gal (12,700 L)
* Powerplant: 2 × Rolls-Royce Spey 203 low bypass turbofans, 12,140 lbf (54.0 kN) thrust each dry, 20,500 lbf (91 kN) with afterburner
Performance
* Maximum speed: 1,386 mph (2,231 km/h, 1,204 kn) at 40,000 ft (12,190 m)
* Maximum speed: Mach 1.9
* Ferry range: 1,750 mi (2,816 km, 1,520 nmi)
* Service ceiling: 60,000 ft (18,300 m)
Armament
* Air defence
** 4 × AIM-7 Sparrow or Skyflash in fuselage recesses plus 2 × Sparrow / Skyflash on underwing pylons and 4 × AIM-9 Sidewinders on underwing shoulder rails
** SUU-23/A gun pod on centreline pylon with up to 1,200 rounds (RAF aircraft only)
* Strike
** Up to 180 SNEB 68mm unguided rockets;
** Mix of 500 lb, 750 lb and 1000 lb free-fall or retarded bombs
** B28/B43/B57 tactical nuclear weapons
Avionics
* Ferranti AN/AWG-11 multi-mode fire control system incorporating AN/APG-60 doppler radar
* Marconi ARI18228 Radar Warning Receiver
* Marconi AN/ASN-39A computer
* AN/ARN-91 TACAN bearing/distance navigation system
* Cossor IFF
* STR-70P radio altimeter
The F.3 as delivered had a different equipment fit to the rest of the UK's Phantoms and was longer, lighter, and faster at altitude. The FG.1 and FGR.2 were broadly identical, with the only significant difference, aside from those already stated, being the ability of the FGR.2 to carry the dedicated reconnaissance pod built by EMI and containing the following:
* 2 × F.135 forward-facing camera
* 4 × F.95 oblique-facing camera
* Texas Instruments RS700 infra-red linescan
* MEL/EMI Q-Band sideways-looking reconnaissance radar

## Phantom bases

The RAF operated the Phantom from a number of bases in the UK, Germany, and the Falkland Islands during its operational service, while the RN initially based its Phantom units at its main air station at RNAS Yeovilton; following the disbanding of the Fleet Air Arm's dedicated training squadron, its sole operational Phantom squadron was subsequently moved to take up residence at the RAF's base at RAF Leuchars.
Bases used by Phantom squadrons of the Royal Navy (RN) and Royal Air Force (RAF) :
| Base | Years used | Number of squadrons | Location map |
| Phantom bases in the United Kingdom ||||
| RNAS Yeovilton | Apr 1968 – Sep 1972 | 3 × RN squadrons | RAF LeucharsRNAS YeoviltonRAF WattishamRAF Coningsby |
| RAF Leuchars | Sep 1969 – Jan 1990 | 1 × RN squadron | RAF LeucharsRNAS YeoviltonRAF WattishamRAF Coningsby |
| RAF Leuchars | Sep 1969 – Jan 1990 | 3 × RAF squadrons | RAF LeucharsRNAS YeoviltonRAF WattishamRAF Coningsby |
| RAF Leuchars | Sep 1969 – Jan 1990 | 1 × RAF flight | RAF LeucharsRNAS YeoviltonRAF WattishamRAF Coningsby |
| RAF Coningsby | May 1969 – Apr 1987 | 5 × RAF squadrons | RAF LeucharsRNAS YeoviltonRAF WattishamRAF Coningsby |
| RAF Wattisham | Nov 1975 – Sep 1992 | 3 × RAF squadrons | RAF LeucharsRNAS YeoviltonRAF WattishamRAF Coningsby |
| RAF Wattisham | Nov 1975 – Sep 1992 | 1 × RAF flight | RAF LeucharsRNAS YeoviltonRAF WattishamRAF Coningsby |
| Phantom bases in Germany (map displays North Rhine-Westphalia) ||||
| RAF Laarbruch | Dec 1970 – Feb 1976 | 1 × RAF squadron | RAF BrüggenRAF LaarbruchRAF Wildenrath |
| RAF Brüggen | Jun 1970 – Jun 1976 | 3 × RAF squadrons | RAF BrüggenRAF LaarbruchRAF Wildenrath |
| RAF Wildenrath | Dec 1976 – Jan 1992 | 2 × RAF squadrons | RAF BrüggenRAF LaarbruchRAF Wildenrath |
| Phantom bases in the Falkland Islands ||||
| RAF Stanley | Oct 1982 – May 1985 | 2 × RAF squadrons | RAF StanleyRAF Mount Pleasant |
| RAF Mount Pleasant | May 1985 – Jun 1992 | 1 × RAF squadron | RAF StanleyRAF Mount Pleasant |
| RAF Mount Pleasant | May 1985 – Jun 1992 | 1 × RAF flight | RAF StanleyRAF Mount Pleasant |