McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II non-U.S. operators

The Hellenic Air Force (HAF) will participate again this year in the world famous Royal International Air Tattoo 2017 show over the weekend of 14, 15, 16 July 2017.

On May 4, Larissa airbase, Greece, hosted the spotter day for the final flight of the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) RF-4E, the last “recce” Phantoms in Europe. With the phase out of the last Greek RF-4E, Iran and Japan remain the last operators of the reconnaissance variant of the “Rhino” (how the Phantom is dubbed in the aviation community).

The crash of three military aircraft in late February and early March have prompted Turkey's defense procurement officials to accelerate their efforts to choose a conceptual trainer aircraft, a program that should progress in tandem with a plan to build an indigenous Turkish fighter jet.

Turkish Air Force Commander Gen. Abidin Ünal announced on March 11 that the fleet of RF-4E fighter jets, which have been involved in three accidents in less than two weeks, killing six pilots, will be decommissioned as of March 12.

The recent fighter jet crash in central Konya province which killed two Turkish pilots on March 5 was caused by pilot error, Turkish Defense Minister ?smet Y?lmaz said on March 10.