page_title: McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II in Australian service
section_title: Return to the USAF
hierarchical_section_title: McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II in Australian service / Return to the USAF
caption_attribution_description: English: Former USAF McDonnell-Douglas F-4E Phantom (67-0237) painted in RAAF No. 82 Wing livery at the RAAF Museum.
context_page_description: 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. The F-4Es were considered successful in this role, but the government did not agree to a proposal from the RAAF to retain the aircraft after the F-111s entered service in 1973.
  The F-4C variant of the Phantom II was among the aircraft evaluated by the RAAF in 1963 as part of the project to replace its English Electric Canberra bombers. The F-111 was selected, but when that project was delayed in the late 1960s due to long-running technical faults with the aircraft, the RAAF determined that the F-4E Phantom II would be the best alternative. As a result of continued problems with the F-111s, the Australian and United States Governments negotiated an agreement in 1970 whereby the RAAF leased 24 F-4Es and their support equipment from the USAF.
  The RAAF's F-4Es entered service in September 1970, and proved to be highly effective.
context_section_description: Repairs to the RAAF's F-111Cs were undertaken from late 1971, and all 24 were accepted on 15 March 1973. The RAAF considered retaining the Phantoms after the F-111s entered service, and the US Government offered to sell the 23 remaining aircraft to Australia for $54 million. Studies found that the upfront cost of keeping the F-4Es would be $77 million, and that one of the Mirage III squadrons would need to be disbanded to man the Phantom-equipped units. Nevertheless, the Air Board recommended that the aircraft be retained, but a proposal to do so was rejected by the Cabinet in 1972 on advice from the Treasury. If the Phantoms had remained in service they would have been used to provide close air support for the Army.
  The Phantoms began to be returned to the USAF in 1972. No. 6 Squadron ceased operating the aircraft on 4 October 1972. Six F-4Es departed for the United States on 25 October that year, followed by a further five in early November. The first six F-111s arrived at Amberley on 1 June 1973, and six Phantoms left for the United States five days later. The final RAAF Phantom flight was made on 20 June, and four of the aircraft departed the next day. The last two Phantoms left Amberley on 21 June. All but two of the former RAAF Phantoms were subsequently converted to specialist Wild Weasel aircraft.
  A former USAF F-4E is on display at the RAAF Museum in Melbourne. This aircraft, which did not serve with the RAAF, was presented to the RAAF by the National Museum of the United States Air Force in 1990, and is painted as one of the Phantoms operated by No. 82 Wing.
caption: An ex-USAF F-4E (67-0237) on display at the RAAF Museum
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