F-4E
Phantom II
Egypt received
the 36 F-4Es under the Peace
Pharaoh project as a reward from the USA after signing camp-David peace
agreement. The first batch of 18 fighters arrived at Cairo-west AFB in the 14th
of October 1979 in a large ceremony which was attended by the late Egyptian
president Anwar EL-Sadat. Most of the Phantom pilots were expert Egyptian
Mig-21 fighter pilots who were mostly aces from war with Israel and as
coincident the first Egyptian pilot to be trained and assigned to fly the Phantoms
was Ahmed Atif who was the first Egyptian pilot to shoot down an Israeli F-4E
Phantom in the 9th of December 1969 with 2 AA-2D Atoll missiles. The
Egyptian Phantoms were not new ones but they were ex-USAF Phantoms which have
been taken from the 31st TFW based at Homestead AFB. They were initially
operated by two squadrons (Nos 76 and 88, also quoted as Nos 88 and 89) of the
222nd Fighter Regiment. When they entered the EAF service they received a
two-tone gray paint job and sported orange panels for identification. The F-4Es
were assigned the all-weather beyond visual range air defense missions using
its AIM-7 Sparrow and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles and as a secondary mission
ground attack and close air support with its AGM-65 Maverick and MK-82 bombes.
Initially the Egyptian crews and technical suffered a lot transforming from
simple technology as the one used on Mig-21 and even the more modern Mig-23 to
advanced and complex technology as the one used on the F-4Es and in the
beginning of the eighties Egypt couldn’t raise as much as 9 fighters and there
was some suggestion that Egypt sell its fighters to Turkey but large American
support and training programs improved the figure and the EAF could raise all
its fighters to operational statues. After the arrival of F-16s in 1982
Phantoms primary mission was changed from air defense to ground attack and
close air support. In 1988, seven more ex-USAF Phantoms were provided to Egypt.
There were no further Phantom deliveries, since the Egyptian Air Force has decided
to acquire large numbers of F-16 Fighting Falcons as its primary fighter
aircraft. Now Egyptian Phantoms are operated from Cairo-west AFB where they are
assigned to number 76 and 78 fighter squadrons of the 222 tactical fighter
brigade. Egypt is looking for a large upgrading contract to provide the
aircraft with new avionics and electronic systems.
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F-4E Phantom II
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F-16 Fighting Falcon
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