Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Goodbye 302sq F-4 Ojiro Phantoms
YouTube ^ | 4 April 2019 | 1-300

Posted on 04/14/2019 1:06:16 AM PDT by Spktyr

Found this video on YouTube. The 302nd Squadron, Japanese Air Self Defense Force retired their F-4EJ Kai Phantom IIs and converted to the F-35 Lightning II as of March 2019. The squadron decided to give the Phantoms sendoff flights and this is someone's video of the event.


TOPICS: History; Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: f4ej; japan; phantom
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041 next last
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfc7qBVplxQ
1 posted on 04/14/2019 1:06:16 AM PDT by Spktyr
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Spktyr

Thanks so much! They are the coolest looking jet!


2 posted on 04/14/2019 1:14:33 AM PDT by 21twelve (!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Spktyr
The Phantoms were awesome.

What a heck of an upgrade.

3 posted on 04/14/2019 1:19:56 AM PDT by rxsid (HOW CAN A NATURAL BORN CITIZEN'S STATUS BE "GOVERNED" BY GREAT BRITAIN? - Leo Donofrio (2009))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rxsid

The Phantoms were awesome.

What a heck of an upgrade.


Yes they moved from a plane that was combat ready most of the time to a plane that is ready only 5% of the time ...


4 posted on 04/14/2019 1:36:47 AM PDT by PIF (They camTo think the choice came down to Gorka/Bannon oe for me and mine ... now it is your turn ...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: PIF

The same have been said about every new design. Phantom is absolete since late 1970s. Getting rid of it for a new plane is a good thing.


5 posted on 04/14/2019 1:39:51 AM PDT by NorseViking
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Spktyr

It is also worth noting that one of the new JASDF F-35s now resides 5,000 ft below the ocean, having killed its pilot, 41-year-old JASDF Major Akinori Hosomi.


6 posted on 04/14/2019 1:43:10 AM PDT by PIF (They camTo think the choice came down to Gorka/Bannon oe for me and mine ... now it is your turn ...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Spktyr

So many memories of the Phantom and those that flew, maintained and secured them .......


7 posted on 04/14/2019 1:43:29 AM PDT by Squantos (Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet ...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: PIF

It was from this same squadron - one of the newly-converted pilots.


8 posted on 04/14/2019 1:48:29 AM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Spktyr

They are also retiring half of their F15 fleet.


9 posted on 04/14/2019 1:49:34 AM PDT by JudgemAll (Democrats Fed. job-security in hatse:hypocrites must be gay like us or be tested/crucified)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JudgemAll

Our US F-15Cs are going to need to be retired soon too. They were supposed to have been all replaced by the F-22, but that didn’t happen. The last F-15C was made in 1985; they are quite old for fighter aircraft now and several of ours have been lost in recent years due to the airframes breaking up in flight.


10 posted on 04/14/2019 1:54:25 AM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: NorseViking

The same have been said about every new design.


No. That is manifestly untrue and a canard. The plane is not ready for anything other than a complete redesign - it flies well, looks good, but most of its critical internal AI systems either do not work or only work once in a while - if they are even installed.

No other plane, declared combat ready, has had such a dismal combat readiness rate of only 5%, with no fixes for some of the critical systems ready, or even contemplated.

Think about it - with an air wing of 20 planes, for example, only 5 are mission capable, the rest are either hanger queens, spare parts or in lengthy maintenance.

The F-35 program ranks with the DDG-1000 LCS Class and the CVN Ford Class as the biggest waste of money for Perfumed Princes’ toys that do not work as advertised, but cost the lions share of the military’s budget.


11 posted on 04/14/2019 2:06:11 AM PDT by PIF (They camTo think the choice came down to Gorka/Bannon oe for me and mine ... now it is your turn ...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: PIF

“This is a dubious purchase costing billions. Why not use a less expensive plane?” Carl Levin (D-MI), 1982.

F-15,16 had teething problems too. The team behind Flanker design was nearly dismissed and prosecuted for sabotage after first tests in 1977 in USSR.

If the critics prevailed the World would still have to fly with Phantoms and Mig-23s.


12 posted on 04/14/2019 2:20:13 AM PDT by NorseViking
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: PIF

I would disagree with the Ford class. The Fords so far haven’t had significantly more problematic at this point in their development than the Nimitz class were. We just hear way more about their problems than the Nimitz as the early Nimitz problems were heavily classified and the media of the day wouldn’t report problems even if word of them did leak out. We only very recently found out about *some* and by no means *all* of the early Nimitz problems as some of the documentation has been declassified due to age.


13 posted on 04/14/2019 2:21:47 AM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: NorseViking; PIF

Levin was talking about Eagle, of course.


14 posted on 04/14/2019 2:22:14 AM PDT by NorseViking
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: NorseViking

The F-35s problems go far beyond the phrase “teething problems”.


15 posted on 04/14/2019 2:26:14 AM PDT by PIF (They camTo think the choice came down to Gorka/Bannon oe for me and mine ... now it is your turn ...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: PIF

The same if not worse was said about legacy jets. That’s my point.


16 posted on 04/14/2019 2:28:00 AM PDT by NorseViking
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Spktyr
They can retire one in my front yard.

I wouldn't mind!


17 posted on 04/14/2019 2:59:32 AM PDT by EasySt (Say not this is the truth, but so it seems to me to be, as I see this thing I think I see #KAG)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Spktyr

...having lived with them for a year (
Ubon,69) and getting used to them * smiles* they are loud,...I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for the
Phantom.


18 posted on 04/14/2019 3:31:01 AM PDT by Doogle (( USAF.68-73....8th TFW Ubon Thailand....never store a threat you should have eliminated)))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Spktyr

The F-4 remains proof you can make a brick fly if you give it enough thrust.


19 posted on 04/14/2019 4:01:18 AM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 21twelve

Sniff. hate to see the coolest fighter/interceptor of my childhood retire. One way of thinking bout it is that they were so good they did not have to be called on in battle for Japan DF.


20 posted on 04/14/2019 4:02:02 AM PDT by epluribus_2 (he had the best mom - rever.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson