The Republic of Korea Air Force has officially retired its venerable F-4E Phantom II fleet following an impressive operational career of 55 years. Suwon Air Base hosted a retirement ceremony on June 7, 2024, for the last ten operational Phantom IIs.
The source originally operated roughly 220 Phantoms in the F-4D, RF-4C, and F-4E variants. The majority of these aircraft were ex-USAF planes, except for two tranches of F-4Es acquired via the Peace Pheasant I and II FMS programs.
A tearful farewell flight was conducted by the 153rd Fighter Squadron of the RoKAF’s 10th Fighter Wing, the last operational unit to operate the Phantom, on May 9, 2024. Four specially painted F-4Es, including one in the classic Vietnam War-era camouflage scheme, flew over several airbases and major cities around Seoul. Flanking them were two KF-21 Boramae multirole combat aircraft-the future face of South Korean air power.
The indigenously built KF-21 Boramae, by Korea Aerospace Industries, will replace the aging Phantom fleet. In mid-2023, the DAPA declared that the KF-21 program had passed a “provisional combat suitability evaluation,” to pave the way for initial production. This is the milestone after two years of rigorous ground and flight trials which began in April 2021 with the rollout of the prototype and its maiden flight in July 2022.
In 2024, South Korea plans to build more KF-21s; for the operation, it has set aside a budget of about $178 million. However, this budget does not touch on serial production, starting in mid-2026. According to KAI, the development of the KF-21 has been going fine so far. From mid-March and early April 2023, the fighter jet began several tests such as weapons release and firing in several sorts of operations.
The F-4E Phantom II has long been the cornerstone of RoKAF’s capability in its transformation from a tactical group to a strategic air force. Historical significance outlines the multi-mission tasks of the fleet, from the interception of a Soviet heavy bomber in 1983 to countering northern aggression since its debut in 1969.
With the retirement of its last operational F-4Es, the RoKAF ensured that only Greece, Turkey, and Iran would continue to fly the Phantom-a type that first entered service with the US Navy in December 1960. Induction into the service of the KF-21 Boramae has brought an entirely new dimension to the defense strategy of South Korea, maintaining air superiority well into the future.