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Korean Air Force decommissions F-4D jets

By Jung Sung-ki
Staff reporter

A squadron of F-4D Phantom fighter jets conducted its last flight Wednesday, ending its 41 years of service with the ROK Air Force.A ceremony for the decommissioning of the aircraft was held at the 11th Fighter Wing in Daegu, about 300 kilometers south of Seoul.
Boeing-built F-15K Slam Eagle fighters will replace the older aircraft.
“Though the F-4D aircraft is fading into the mist of history, their spirit will be succeeded by the F-15K, which will further bolster our air defense,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Lee Kye-hoon said at the ceremony. Hundreds of guests, including former F-4 pilots, attended the event.

The 151st Fighter Squadron of the ROK Air Force has operated about 60 F-4Ds since 1969. The twin-engine aircraft, nicknamed “MIG Killer,” can cruise at a top speed of Mach 2.3 and has an operational range of 1,260 kilometers.

Under a 2007 deal, the Air Force is receiving up-to-date F-15K aircraft from U.S. aerospace giant Boeing.
In 2002, the F-15 aircraft was selected for the 40-plane, $4.2-billion first-phase plan of the F-X fighter modernization program aimed at buying 120 high-end fighter jets by 2020. The Boeing Company won the second-phase deal in 2008 to provide 20 more aircraft. The deal was valued at $2.3 billion.

The F-15K can fly air-to-ground, air-to-air and air-to-sea missions day or night in any weather. It has a 23,000-pound payload and can fly at a maximum speed of Mach 2.3 with a combat radius of 1,800 kilometers.
gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr