Report and photos by Robin Polderman
Much to our delight, The Unit Report was invited to Turkey to witness the events organized for the 50th anniversary of the F-4E in Turkish Air Force service, taking place in the weekend of 16 and 17 November 2024.
Following a dispute with neighboring Greece over the island of Cyprus and Greece’s decision to order the F-4E Phantom for the Hellenic Air Force, Turkey realized it urgently needed to upgrade its airforce.
On 14 August 1972, Turkey ordered 40 F-4E Phantom II aircraft, program name ‘Peace Diamond’, and started selecting air- and ground crew to undergo training in the United States.
The infrastructure of the 1. Ana Jet Üs Komutanlığı (Main Jet Base) at Eskişehir was brought up to date, ready to receive the first pair of Phantom aircraft which duly arrived on 30 August 1974. A further six Phantoms would arrive that same year, but on 5 February 1975, a US-imposed arms embargo due to the conflict in Cyprus brought deliveries to a grinding halt.
The arms embargo remained in place until 10 December 1978 but since the Turkish order of Phantoms had already been paid for, a concession made by US Congress in July of 1975 allowed deliveries to commence again. The remaining 32 Phantoms were received shortly thereafter.
More Phantoms followed between 7 April 1978 and 20 April 1979, when a further 32 F-4E and eight RF-4E aircraft were received.
Phantom purchases by the Turks didn’t stop there. Two batches of 15 F-4E Phantoms each were obtained in 1981 and 1984 respectively, in both cases secondhand USAF machines. More surplus Phantoms arrived in 1987 in the shape of 40 former Air National Guard F-4Es.
Following the end of the War in the Gulf, during which Turkey allowed coalition forces to use its military bases, another 40 F-4E Phantoms from surplus USAF stocks were added to the Turkish Air Force.
After the retirement of the RF-4E in German service in 1993, a total of 45 examples made their way to Turkey to equip the 173 Filo at Erhaç/Malatya. Some of these aircraft were used for spare parts only and never flew in THK service. This string of F-4 purchases between 1974 and 1994 made Turkey the third largest user of the Phantom after the United States and Germany.
In order to increase the effectiveness of the Phantom fleet, a number of upgrades were performed. Starting in January 1997, a total of 54 F-4E aircraft were modified to the F-4E 2020 standard in close cooperation with IAI (Israeli Aerospace Company).
Besides structural improvements to enhance the service life of these aircraft, considerable avionics upgrades were carried out. In addition to receiving a new Elta EL/M-2032 radar the Phantoms were also equipped with a new HUD, cockpit MFDs, GPS, and numerous smaller improvements. The air-to-ground capability of the F-4E 2020 has been modernized by the integration of the AGM-142 Popeye stand-off missile. Its survivability over the modern battlefield has been significantly enhanced by the AN/ALQ-178 self-protection system and the Israeli Elta EL/L-8222 electronic countermeasures pod. A total of 26 aircraft were upgraded in Israel, with the remaining 28 modifications being done in Turkey.
Drawing on the experience gained in the F-4E 2020 project, the Turks started a service life extension program on 18 RF-4E recce Phantoms in early 2004. Besides structural enhancements, the aircraft’s electronic warfare-, navigation- and communication systems received a make-over.
The Turkish RF-4E recce Phantoms were withdrawn on 12 March 2015, last operated by the 173 Filo at Erhaç/Malatya airbase.
In 2006, the THK’s overhaul center at Eskişehir in cooperation with Turkish company ASELSAN undertook the Şimşek (Lightning) project; a limited upgrade and structural improvement program for another 16 F-4E aircraft. These aircraft received GPS navigation and digital communication systems developed indigenously by ASELSAN.
At the highlight of its career with the THK, Phantoms equipped eight operational squadrons:
Eskişehir (1. Ana Jet Üs Komutanlığı): 111, 112 and 113 Filo
Konya (3. Ana Jet Üs Komutanlığı): 131 and 132 Filo
Erhaç/Malatya (7. Ana Jet Üs Komutanlığı): 171, 172 and 173 Filo
Currently, two THK units still operate the Phantom, both of which are based at Eskişehir. The 111 Filo ‘Panterler’ and the test unit 401 Filo
make use of the remaining fleet of F-4E 2020 airframes. After Turkey was forced to withdraw from the F-35 program, another replacement for the F-4 had to be sourced. The F-4 is rumored to remain in service until around 2030 when it will be replaced by either the Indigenous KAAN, the F-16 Block 70, or the Eurofighter Typhoon. Time will tell.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the F-4E Phantom in the Turkish Air Force, the THK organized a commemorative event during the weekend of 16 & 17 November 2024.
In order to entertain all invitees, the THK had planned for a low-level photo opportunity on Saturday the 16th, in a valley to the northeast of Eskişehir, almost a three-hour drive away.
Reaching the ridge line indicated by the THK proved quite a challenge but The Unit Report managed to obtain a decent spot in order to obtain some good images. The assembled photographers were treated to multiple passes by two F-4E-2020s, one of which was painted completely black with the Turkish flag superimposed on the top fuselage. The tail on the right-hand side depicts the eyes of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founding father of the Republic of Turkey from the 1920s. He once stated: “The future is in the skies,” and this holds true to this day.
A nine-ship elephant walk, a few fly-bys, and a static display were planned for the next day at the Eskişehir airbase. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t play ball, and low clouds tried to spoil a perfect opportunity. Luckily, the rain gods decided it wasn’t the right time and spared the crowd.
The static display proved interesting as it showed the weapons available to the F-4E 2020, including a wide variety of indigenously developed weapons.
On display was the ROKETSAN SOM, a stand-off cruise missile with a range of more than 300 km (160 nm), developed for use on the THK fleet of F-16s, Phantoms and larger Bayraktar drones. Various laser- and GPS guidance kits of Turkish manufacturers were shown including the ASELSAN KGK-82, a wing-assisted INS/GPS kit for the 500 lbs Mk82 with a stand-off range of 110 km (60 nm). The Turkish Phantoms can employ both the 500 lbs Mk82 and 2000 lbs Mk84 bombs with said guidance kits. The AGM-142 Popeye and AGM-65G Maverick missiles were also on display, along with the ubiquitous AIM-9M Sidewinder.
Late afternoon on the 17th of November nine Phantoms rolled down Eskişehir’s runway in a show of force. Next to the aircraft of the 111 Filo, the THK’s test unit 401 Filo participated with both of its F-4s. After the nine jets had taxied back to their respective Hardened Aircraft Shelters it was time for the assembled photographers to return to their hotels to warm up again. The weekend in and around Eskişehir turned out to be a fitting tribute to an aircraft that has undoubtedly become a legend.
A huge thank you to the Turkish Air Force PR team for making this report possible.
