Having served extensively during the Vietnam War as a fighter-bomber platform, the third-generation F-4 Phantom jet was loved around the world
Currently the F-4 has been retired in turn to make room for new generation fighters, but in Iran it continues to play an important role
Now even Iran has gone further when deploying anti-ship missiles of Chinese origin on this American fighter platform
For over 40 years the F-4 Phantom has been the backbone of the Iranian Air Force
used to perform a number of roles for the defense of the Islamic Republic
ranging from air superiority to reconnaissance and in recent years even strike missions against terror groups in neighbouring Iraq
The Iranian Air Force currently operates 6 squadrons of F-4s, including a reconnaissance squadron with about 6-10 RF-4Es
and five combat squadrons, numbering about 62-66 F-4D and F-4E fighters, about 13 each
In the 1960s and 1970s when the U.S. and Iran were on friendly terms, the U.S. delivered 225 F-4D, F-4E, and RF-4E Phantoms to Iran
making it the second largest export customer
The F-4’s greatest advantage was its speed—Mach 2.5+ in some circumstances, and it’s thrust
Although not terribly maneuverable, the F-4 could engage and disengage from fights virtually at will by accelerating away from the enemy
The airframe held a number of world records, including top speed, altitude, and climbing records
The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force Phantoms saw heavy action in the Iran–Iraq War in the 1980s
and were kept operational by overhaul and servicing from Iran's aerospace industry
Although aging, the F-4 is a heavier, faster and can operate from higher altitudes than rival platforms
such as the United Arab Emirates' F-16E Fighting Falcons and and United States Navy's F-18E Super Hornets
and with extensive indigenous modernisation including the integration of modern sensors, electronic warfare systems
and armaments they can present a credible threat
Although the F-4E, the most produced version of the Phantom family, was designed primarily for the air superiority mission
but Iran later had F-14 and MiG-29 fighters, and more modern ground air defense systems; allowing the IRIAF to put the F-4 on ground attack missions
In November 2020, Iran showcased its Qased 900kg electro-optic-guided smart bombs in its annual “Defenders of the Sky” drills
The regime’s ability to potentially strike targets with significantly greater precision poses a threat to the region
Although the F-4 platform is aging, the fighter jets can successfully outperform counterparts across the region
Iran’s acquisition of advanced air-launched anti-ship missile systems is a threat
These armaments from U.S. adversaries, including China, continue to help elevate the mission set of their F-4 fleet to an armed maritime strike role
For example, Iran’s Nasr anti-ship cruise missile is a variant of the People’s Liberation Army’s C-704
The Iranian Air Force has also manufactured its own native-grown medium-range cruise missiles to launch from the F-4
Each Phantom can deploy multiple missiles, and can do so far from Iranian coasts due to the aircraft's relatively high endurance
large numbers of Phantoms armed for a maritime strike role can pose a significant threat to enemy warships
The high performance of the missile's compensate for the F-4's performance shortcomings
The Qader medium range cruise missile, derived from the Chinese C-802, is capable of striking hostile targets up to 200 kilometres away
Able to engage enemy targets at standoff ranges
the survivability of the Phantoms as well as the size of Iran's maritime anti access area denial zone are both significantly improved
With dozens of Phantoms in service they are set to provide a highly effective complement to the country's other maritime anti access area denial systems
Combined with its F-14 and MiG-29 fighter squadrons, Iran’s Phantom fleet remains the backbone of its Air Force
This platform should not be underestimated