Indian Air Force McDonnell Douglas F-4EM Phantom 2000

[comrade harps]

McDonnell Douglas F-4EM Phantom 2000
a/c MA 292, No.37 Black Panthers Squadron
Kadena, Okinawa, Japan, 20 June 2007



On the night of 20-21 June 2007, six F-4EMs of the Indian Air Force launched twelve Storm Shadow cruise missiles against targets in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). Deployed from Jodhpur Air Base to Okinawa as part of the UN's Operation Pacific Shield in response to the apparent internal destabilization of the DPRK, 18 F-4EMs from 35 and 37 squadrons undertook combat missions for over three months during Operation Freedom Dawn (OFD). The stated mission of OFD was the enforcement of a UN Security Council resolution to establish a No Fly Zone over the DPRK and to use "necessary means to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas" from government forces.




The Indian Air Force acquired its first F-4E Phantom IIs in 1967. Primarily assigned to air-to-air combat, they undertook both air defence and offensive counter air missions during the 1971 war with Pakistan and subsequently during combat over South East Asia and Africa. The initial order of 76 F-4Es and 12 RF-4Es was reinforced with additional orders for both new and second-hand aircraft including F-4E, F-4G and RF-4E models, bringing the total of all F-4 deliveries to India to 286.



During the 1990s the combat types of the Indian Air Force underwent a series of mid-life updates (MLUs). The first MLU was for the F-16A and B fleet, resulting in the F-16AM and BM. This was a multinational effort that brought F-16As and Bs from Australia, Brazil, India and Singapore to a common standard. Equipped with the AIM-120B AMRAAM, the F-16AM was now able to undertake beyond visual range air-to-air combat, which had previously been the exclusive domain of the F-4E. This enabled the F-4EM MLU to bring out the type's multi-role capabilities, at the heart of which was the AN/APG-76 radar, which was integrated into a new suite of digital avionics and glass cockpit instrumentation. Dubbed the Phantom 2000, the program updated 64 F-4Es to F-4EM standard. Early proposals to integrate a nose-mounted IRST on the Phantom 2000 were dropped, the F-4EM instead having the wing-mounted TISEO TV camera replaced by a FLIR camera in the same housing. Plans to upgrade India's F-4G fleet to a similar standard were abandoned due to the poor state of their airframes, the F-4Gs instead going through a modest Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) and ultimately being replaced by the F-16S. The Phantom 2000 program paved the way for the Tornado IDS MLU (promoted as the Tornado 2000), which featured the same radar and core avionics, the resultant Tornado IDS-M emerging as a multi-role that, like the F-4 MLU, was compatible with the AIM-120 AMRAAM. Seeking a degree of commonality, the Baagh 2000  MLU programme for the IAF's HAL-built Mirage J79 Baagh (Tiger) featured the AN/APG-66H radar (similar to the AN/APG-66(V)2 used in the F-16 MLU, but with a smaller dish) and the same HAL-built J79-HAL-J1E "smokeless" turbojets as the F-4EM. The resultant Baagh FGR.7 served as the basis for export versions, including the HAL-modified Sri Lankan Baagh C.7 and Myanmar's Baagh C.10.



The F-4EM was seen as more vulnerable than the Tornado IDS-M and was nominated as the lead platform for stand-off air-to-surface missiles. Replacing Buccaneers and their Martel TV missiles, the F-4EMs were initially equipped with AGM-84E SLAMs in additional to other precision weapons, including laser-guided bombs (including Paveway and indigenous Sudarshan bomb kits), AGM-65B, D and E Mavericks, Exocets and GBU-15 and AGM-130 EO- and IIR-guided bombs and JDAMs. In early 2007 the F-4EM squadrons achieved initial operating capability with the new Storm Shadow cruise missile and, at the time of Operation Freedom Dawn, was in the process of phasing out the SLAMs. By then, though, the F-4EM had already seen action during Operation Vijay, India's armed response to Pakistan's incursion into the Kargil region of Kashmir. The F-4EMs joined other types in delivering close air support, battlefield air interdiction and aerial reconnaissance, using their TIALD and recently delivered LITENING II pods to generate reconnaissance products and designate targets for laser-guided weapons. 500lb GBU.12 Paveway and GBU-38 JDAMs, 1,000lb Sudarshan and AGM-65D Mavericks were used by F-4EMs during the Kargil conflict.



On the night of 20-21 June 2007, six F-4Ms of 35 Squadron launched twelve Storm Shadow missiles against targets "near Inchon." Each these Storm Force planes were armed with two Storm Shadow and also carried two AIM-120B AMRAAMs and a single ASRAAM, plus an ALQ-131 ECM pod and three external fuel tanks. Another six F-4EMs from 37 Squadron formed SLAM Force to launch nine AGM-84E SLAMs, which were among the last remaining in IAF stock. Three of the SLAM carriers were armed with two AGM-84Es, with the other three carrying a single SLAM in addition to an AN/AWW-14 data link pod. The data link enabled weapon systems officers to establish man-in-the-loop control to confirm and lock target acquisition via the missiles' IIR camera. All the SLAM Force jets also carried a pair of AMRAAMs, one ASRAAM, an ALQ-131 and three drop tanks.



Storm Force and SLAM Force were part of an integrated Indian Air Force strike package that also included Tornado IDS-M attack jets, F-16AM escort fighters, F-16S SEAD  aircraft and KC-135R tankers. The Storm Force crews were the first to engage the enemy by launching their drop and forget Storm Shadows at long range; they then demonstrated their versatility by taking up the high-value asset escort role to protect the KC-135s as dropped back into holding orbits. The remainder of the attack force as it pushed forward towards hostile airspace was escorted by eight IAF F-16AMs of Falcon Force. SLAM Force was the second to engage the DPRK with kinetic effect, launching their nine AGM-84Es against targets "south of Inchon." The six F-16S SEAD Force crews were next into action, launching "several" AGM-88D HARMs against active radar threats as the eight-strong Tornado Force closed in on their coastal targets to deliver four GBU-24 Paveway IIIs and twelve GBU-31 JDAMs, all armed with the BLU-109 bunker-busting bomb. No enemy surface-to-air missiles or aircraft were encountered and all aircraft returned safely and without damage to their bases. The F-16s were flying from Miho, Japan, while all the others were operating from Kadena on Okinawa.



The last F-4EM fleet was withdrawn from frontline service in 2017, the Phantom 2000s being replaced by the HAL-built Globalfighter Typhoon FGA.4.

[reddfoxx]

Lovely builds, and interesting backstory!

[comrade harps]

Lovely builds, and interesting backstory!

My whatif India is a bit Isreali 

[zenrat]

Good work Comrade.  Which kit is it?

[Old Wombat]

 

[comrade harps]

Good work Comrade.  Which kit is it?

Hasegawa F-4E with Iranian decals for the stash.

I got the kit about 4 years back from Hearns Hobbies with a gift voucher a collegue gave me when I left Frankston library.

The Storm Shadow are from the Revell Typhoon kit. I didn't realise that they would foul the undercarriage until I glued them on, hence the MER modified into an adapter. Until I came up with that I almost popped some SLAMS on (I figured the same problem would happen if I tried the Taurus missiles also in the Typhoon kit).

[zenrat]

Good work Comrade.  Which kit is it?

Hasegawa F-4E with Iranian decals for the stash...

I'm guessing its the 90's mould.
Hard to tell from Scalemates as there is a bewildering number of 1/72 Hasegawa Phantoms.

[NARSES2]

Very neat 

[TheChronicOne]

Damn fine work, bud!!!  I love it!! I need to get around more often... 

[DogfighterZen]

That Phantom looks mean! Very nice, Comrade! 

[chrisonord]

Very nice toom sir
Chris