Phantoms in the Dark: JASDF Tuesday Moon Ghosts

Kinja'd!!! "ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
11/26/2019 at 14:09 • Filed to: wingspan, Planelopnik

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The last two squadrons of JASDF Phantoms, the 301 Hikotai fighter squadron and the 501 Hikotai reconnaissance squadron, during evening exercises at Hyakuri Base.

This needs a NSFW tag.


DISCUSSION (11)


Kinja'd!!! HammerheadFistpunch > ttyymmnn
11/26/2019 at 14:22

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That was cool.  I respect the F4 for being a pilot guided rocket, but I really don’t like it otherwise.  


Kinja'd!!! ttyymmnn > HammerheadFistpunch
11/26/2019 at 14:42

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It’s one of my favorites. But I’m a sucker for that era of aviation. Somebody else on this site quipped that the Phantom stays in the air with brute force over aerodynamics. 


Kinja'd!!! Aremmes > ttyymmnn
11/26/2019 at 14:55

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Wot, they fly Phantoms? I thought the JASDF flies Valkyries.

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Kinja'd!!! VincentMalamute-Kim > ttyymmnn
11/26/2019 at 15:11

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Classic plane. Seminal design - snaps me instantly back to the Vietnam War and the 1970's. Like the E30 M3 does with the 80's. And the P51 Mustang.

I hope they keep a few flying forever.  And not use them as target drones like the USAF.


Kinja'd!!! ttyymmnn > VincentMalamute-Kim
11/26/2019 at 15:25

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AFAIK, Japan and Turkey are the only countries still flying them. I think the last QF-4 has already been dispatched. Now they’re shooting down QF-16s. I have to remind myself that the F-16 took its maiden flight in 1974. They’re almost as old as I am. 


Kinja'd!!! VincentMalamute-Kim > ttyymmnn
11/26/2019 at 15:50

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ooh don’t shoot down F-16's either! Another classic design. I guess (almost ) all fighters are cool.


Kinja'd!!! ttyymmnn > VincentMalamute-Kim
11/26/2019 at 16:02

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More here .


Kinja'd!!! VincentMalamute-Kim > ttyymmnn
11/26/2019 at 16:10

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Very pretty.  Only ugly one in recent memory is the F-35.


Kinja'd!!! ttyymmnn > VincentMalamute-Kim
11/26/2019 at 16:13

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The F-35 is growing on me, but only very slowly.


Kinja'd!!! user314 > ttyymmnn
11/26/2019 at 16:58

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Iran, Japan, South Korea, Greece, and Turkey still fly the Phantom, and Egypt has two squadrons worth in reserve. Japan is replacing theirs with F-35s and F-2s, while South Korea may fly both for a while . Greece and Turkey recently finished upgrade programs on their planes, though Turkey had plans to purchase F-35s until they were kicked out of the program earlier this year. Flight status of the Iranian F-4s is unknown, though they claimed one took part in anti-ISIS actions in 2015.


Kinja'd!!! user314 > Aremmes
11/26/2019 at 17:00

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Psst, that’s a VF-19 Excalibur. You’re thinking of:

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