How the F-4 Phantom got its gun back

Sometimes you just need that big iron on your hip
#vietnamwar #aircraft #aviation #militaryhistory #usairforce #usmilitary #history #usnavy #fighterjet #warthunder #usmarines #warthunderaviation #fighterpilot #fighterjets

[gpmusic]

Not quite
The phantom was fine without a gun, just ask the Navy. The problem in the end was, as you said, the rules of engagement, but also the pilots. The pilots wanted to break the rules of engagement and dogfight mig 17s and mig 21s, which the F4 just couldn't maneuver with. The gun would make no real difference in 90% of those situations. The problem with the missiles was mainly due to training and doctrine, once the radar officers learned how to fully utilize the missiles, they began performing much better. The phantom didn't need the gun, and the evidence to that is the fact that the navy never adopted an integrated gun, as did the RAF, which only operated gunpods.

[Super_Bug]

I feel you're leaving out an important bit of context. The F-4 did not have a gun not because planners thought missiles were enough to deal with enemy fighters, but because the F-4 was not designed to face fighters in the first place. The USAF was solely focused on nuclear deterance, bombers to drop nukes and fighters to intercept bombers. The F-4 was an interceptor designed to destroy bombers at range, which its radar and Aim-7 suite was well equipped to do. After realizing through Vietnam that conventional air-to-air warfare was still very possible in the nuclear age, guns were adopted on interceptor aircraft, minus the Navy's F-4s. Dedicated fighters such as the F-5 and F-8 still retained guns even while the F-4 did not.

[poikoi]

One thing about the phantoms is that, their missiles were rear aspect missiles but due to the nature of the skies over vietnam with Phantoms having to intercept enemy migs, they had an issue where they were firing missiles from the front of the aircraft as they merge. This resulted in the missiles not working as they are rear aspect missiles. Said missiles eventually began to start getting kills as intended when the pilots learned the doctrine and how to use the missiles they were using effectively. Eventually the US made the missiles it was fielding all aspect meaning you can fire it at an enemy plane at any angle and it will lock on as supposed to the previously nentioned rear aspect missiles.

[growlerfowler]

Good to see 29Sqn Toom Armourers at the beginning.

[offsetcircle]

Damn I've never seen a single seater phantom until now it looks so cool

[TangoCharlie-mzlh]

"guns on aircraft were becoming obsolete"

Correct, but youre *way* ahead of the curve 😂

[JJdaboss-wz]

It’s because the missles were useless in close range and the xplosion would hurt the jet

[slyllamademon]

Politicians always find a way to make war harder for the warfighter.

[SmoggyWu]

How the F4 Phantom got its gun back sounds like some wacky American kids book

[ChristopherGriffin-eeol]

About the problem of having no weapons and being jumped, short answer is to FUCKING PRAY

[johnbueg]

The Navy ask for and my father helped design a high speed intercept

[colinwhalen]

I appreciate your concise but informative your videos are, just wish YouTube would let you fit the whole short into one part

[Julie-rhqe]

Poudre à canon dite sans fumée
Drummondville Aetna chemical vers RuS'Sie

[BelugaChonky]

It led to them getting dominated by old migs

[Tigerfire]

How can it get its gun back if it didn't have a gun in the first place? It sh😂be how it got a gun.

[HaydenLau.]

This is untrue. It was not the gun the made the phantom good. It was TopGun flight school

[EmperorMaximus]

You cannot get back what you never had.
You CAN acquire something after the fact, in later models, etc.
The F-35C also has no cannon and this is the same kind of idiotic mistake.

[anthonydebski]

yup....obsolete, until Vietnam...the GUN FIGHTER was SO much better!....& cheaper!!