(U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Randahl J. Jenson) Ahead of ending the QF-4 program later this year, a QF-4 Phantom target ai...
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| (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Randahl J. Jenson) |
During the flight, the unmanned aircraft served its primary mission as an aerial target and was shot at by an F-35 Lightning II from Edwards Air Force Base, California.
A manned QF-4, also from the Holloman AFB, trailed to ensure mission success. The QF-4s will continue flying manned missions until the official end of the QF-4 program in December 2016.
The QF-4 has been flying for about 15 years, and it has been instrumental in testing next-generation weapons and radar systems.
The QF-4 are retired McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom fighter jets converted into remote piloted aerial target aircraft which can simulate enemy aircraft maneuvers to be shot down by other operational fighters for training pilots and testing technologically superior air-to-air weapons and evaluation programs.
The reusable aircraft is flown unmanned when its is to be shot down by a missile.
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| The manned QF-4 Phantom returns to Holloman Air Force Base after supporting the mission (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Randahl J. Jenson) |
The aerial target fleet is operated and maintained by the 82d Aerial Targets Squadron, located at Tyndall AFB. The squadron will transitions to flying QF-16s from next year.
The F-4 was the primary fighter-bomber aircraft in the U.S. Air Force throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
The QF-4 conversion was carried out by BAE Systems at a cost of $ 2.6 million per aircraft. The fleet achieved Initial Operational Capability in 1997.
