Saturday, October 19, 2019

Israel Day 5 - Israel Air Force Museum - The F-4 Phantom II

Now for The Old AF Sarge's aircraft of choice.

Israel acquired the F-4E Phantom II, receiving their first batch of aircraft in January 1968. It was Israel's main fighter aircraft through the Yom Kippur War.

The F-4 Phantom was called the Kurnass - "Sledgehammer" in Israeli service, and the RF-4E, the reconnaissance version was called the Orev - "Raven".

The Phantiom's first air-to-air victory in Israeli service took place on November 11, 1969 when a Phantom shot down a MiG-21.

Israel also updated the Phantom to their Kurnass 2000 / Phantom 2000 standard, with updated avionics including a look down-shoot down capability.

This Phantom clearly sports the Kurnass 2000 livery:

The Museum has multiple F-4s on display.

After touring the museum area, I noticed that behind the main area of the museum, hidden behind a hill and separated by a barrier, there appears to be a boneyard for aircraft with an F-4 in it:

In Israeli service, The Phantom has 116.5 air victories, and 55 Phantoms were lost in action with most lost to SAM and ground fire.

3 comments:

MrGarabaldi said...

Hey Aaron;

Yeah the F4 is hugely popular and very sturdy. The Israeli airforce had to fight very hard to defend the country in 1973 when the Arab armies launched a surprise attack across the Sinai and the Golan Heights. Don't mention "Boneyard around "Murphy" he will try to go over there and "Explore". LOL

Old NFO said...

They made some interesting mods to the old bird! :-)

Rickvid in the Yakima Valley said...

I recall a cartoon from a loooonnnngggg time ago, maybe in Air Force Times, that showed an MP sitting on the ground with his hand on his head as if he'd been conked on the noggin, and another MP leaning over him. In the near distance we see an F-4 roaring off into the sky. The caption went something along the lines of "I don't know, but it was this little grey haired lady who said she was the Prime Minister of Israel!"